Former hostage Tal Shoham provided disturbing testimony on Wednesday on Israeli Army Radio about the systematic theft of humanitarian aid by Hamas terrorists while Israeli hostages endured deliberate starvation. Shoham revealed that guards possessed stockpiles of stolen aid supplies while following explicit orders to deny food to prisoners.
"In the room next to us, the guards had food for months ahead that they stole from humanitarian aid. They said they received orders from above to starve us," Shoham told the radio station during his interview.
The captivity survivor described the horrific conditions he and other hostages endured during their imprisonment. "It was a continuous nightmare. There was no oxygen to breathe, and we felt extreme and ongoing hunger. I saw the pictures of Rom and Evyatar, they look like walking skeletons, it reminded me of the Holocaust pictures," he explained.
Shoham's weight dropped from 174 pounds to 110 pounds by the time of his release in February during the first phase of the hostage deal. According to the former hostage's interview with Fox News, hostages were allowed merely 300 calories a day and just 300 milliliters of water – slightly more than 10 ounces – which they had to choose to use for drinking or washing.
Video: Hamas terrorists enjoying food underground / Credit: IDF
Shoham emphasized the psychological impact of knowing that support continued from the outside world. Regarding demonstrations for hostage release, he stated, "Every time I heard in captivity that they were still fighting for us and we weren't forgotten, I received hope. The feeling that there was still someone fighting for us was a source of faith that someday it would end."
The IDF Arabic spokesperson unveiled dramatic video evidence in July, documenting Hamas terrorists' comfortable underground life, showing operatives enjoying fresh bananas, dates, and meat in tunnel complexes while their organization publicly accuses Israel of creating starvation conditions for Gaza residents.
