Survivors of Hamas captivity who returned in the current deal continue to reveal shocking new details about their time as Hamas captives. Recent testimonies indicate that some hostages heard and felt the digging of Hamas tunnels and underground chambers while they themselves were being held beneath Gaza. This activity apparently involved extending or rehabilitating tunnel networks damaged during the fighting.
Throughout their captivity, terrorists shared various pieces of information with the hostages about fellow captives, including details about their family members or events happening outside. Hamas members told some hostages that foreign citizens abducted to Gaza, particularly Thai workers, were being forced to participate in tunnel cleaning and reconstruction efforts. However, this information may have been shared as part of a calculated psychological abuse strategy aimed at demoralizing the hostages.
Captivity conditions for young Israeli hostages, particularly men, were exceptionally harsh. Many endured physical abuse and underwent interrogations focusing on their military service history. Some hostages were forced to sleep directly on floors covered with stones and sand throughout most of their captivity period, with Hamas refusing to provide even basic mattresses. Female hostages lived in constant fear of their captors, to the extent that many were afraid to pray in Hebrew. As a protective measure, several learned to recite Friday evening prayers in Arabic instead.
