Horrifying details of the conditions endured by hostages locked away in Hamas’s tunnel networks have emerged since the ceasefire deal – with many tortured and starved by their captors
Israeli hostages have told of two years of torture and starvation living in Hamas tunnels – while others have been left so traumatised they are unable to speak about their ordeal.
Those who returned alive this week described beaten unconscious, forced into solitary confinement, and chained up inside tunnels after being kidnapped during the October 7 attacks. Many did not know what had happened to their loved ones until being freed, with Hamas separating friends and family members from each other before locking them away.
On Monday, 20 living hostages returned to Israel under a landmark ceasefire deal, while seven of the 28 deceased still in Gaza have been handed over as of Wednesday morning.
Forced to dig own grave
Evyatar David, 24, was taken hostage at the Nova music festival on October 7 along with his childhood friend, Guy Gilboa-Dalal.
Both men were tied by their hands and feet while in captivity, and had bags placed over their heads for days on end. They were left starving and received very little food, which was given to them in complete darkness so that they cannot see what they are eating. During their 738 days as hostages, they received just one shower every month in a bucket, and were subjected to regular physical and psychological torture.
In August, a video released by Hamas sparked international outcry and a new wave of protests in Israel after it showed a severely malnourished Evyatar telling the camera he was digging his own grave.
Starved and then ‘force-fed’
Ilan Gilboa-Dalal, Guy’s mother, told Israel’s Kan public broadcaster that he was bundled into a car around a month before his release and driven to one of Gaza City’s tunnels, separating him from Evyatar.
After being starved for many months, the final weeks saw him “force-fed”, something which his mother believes came in response to the concerns raised over Evyatar’s appearance.
Evyatar and Guy embraced each other as they were reunited at Rabin Medical Centre in Petah Tikva on Tuesday upon their release.
‘So badly beaten that he lost consciousness’
Anat Angrest, mum of 22-year-old hostage Matan Angrest, told Channel 12 news that her son “remembers being beaten so badly that he lost consciousness” on October 7.
He was singled out for “very severe torture” in his first few months as a hostage, as he was soldier, and kept alone “for a long period, under special guard”.
Anat was taunted by his “monster” captors, who told him that they were planning another major attack, but told his mother he refused to break to avoid giving the “monsters” any more power over him.
On one terrifying occasion, an Israeli air strike struck directly above the tunnel, causing the walls to collapse around him.
Mr Angrest was put under medical supervision at the the Ichilov Hospital after returning to Israel this week, where his grandad Moti described him as “mostly healthy, with some scars on his hands and fingers, and in good spirits.”
Lost 40% of body weight
Avinatan Or, 32, was kidnapped from the Nova music festival along with his girlfriend, Noa Argamani, who was rescued by Israeli forces in June 2024. On October 7, Hamas released a video of the pair that has become one of the most well-known videos from that day. It showed Argamani on a quad bike crying, “Don’t kill me!” and reaching out her arms to Mr Or, who was dragged from away from her by militants.
He suffered what appears to the most severe case of isolation of all the hostages, being kept alone for the entire 738-day period in captivity.
Avinatan did not meet any other captives until his release on Monday, and was kept in a tent in one of central Gaza’s refugee areas, rather than in a tunnel. Mr Or suffered long periods of starvation and ended up losing between 30 and 40% of his body weight, according to an initial medical observation this week. After being freed, he reportedly asked to spend time alone with his girlfriend, before sharing their “first cigarette together after two years.”
Chained up and only given mouldy food to eat
Alon Ohel, 24, was kidnapped at the Nova music festival from a mobile bomb shelter along with Hersh Goldberg-Polin, an American-Israeli who was killed in captivity in August 2024.
Eli Sharabi, another hostage held with Alon and released in a previous ceasefire agreement, said they were kept chained, with only a mouldy pita bread per day for food. Mr Ohel has been left with shrapnel in his eye from the attack on the bomb shelter, and his family is worried he may be partially blind.
Moved by captors 23 times
Omri Miran, a 48-year-old father of two taken hostage by Hamas on October 7, 2023, was moved to 23 different locations in Gaza during his captivity.
His brother, Nadav Miran, told the press that he was kept both above ground and in Hamas’s tunnel network amid constant efforts by militants to evade Israeli forces. Despite the conditions, Omri Miran was able to mentally keep track of every day he was held captive, and “knew exactly what date it was” when he was released, his brother said.