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Israeli Hostage Shares Disturbing Accounts of Captivity

Recently freed Israeli hostages revealed distressing captivity conditions under Hamas, including extreme isolation. Gadi Mozes endured 70 days in darkness and solitary confinement. Chaotic hostage releases heightened tensions, leading Israel to halt a planned prisoner exchange briefly.

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Israeli Hostage Shares Disturbing Accounts of Captivity

Recently released Israeli hostages have spoken about their time spent in Hamas captivity, revealing what they experienced with the severe isolation and harsh conditions they faced within Gaza. 80-year-old Gadi Mozes spent more than a year in solitary confinement, meeting only another hostage for the first time days before being released.

70 Days In Darkness

For nearly 70 days, Mozes was confined in a cramped two-square-meter cell, completely isolated and kept in total darkness. To cope, he counted floor tiles and solved math problems in his head, reported Times of Israel. Mozes struggled with broken glasses for two months, making it difficult for him to see. Eventually, he received new spectacles and two books to read.

He was moved several times during the war but was never taken to Hamas’s underground tunnels. He lost about 15 kilograms and walked nearly seven kilometers daily within his tiny cell to stay active.

Efrat Katz, Mozes’s long-time partner, was killed in the October 7 attack. He had no information about his daughter, Moran, during his captivity. However, upon his return to Israel, she was among the first to welcome him back.

Hostages Released

The hostage release last Thursday was chaotic. In northern Gaza, 20-year-old Israeli soldier Agam Berger was taken through Jabalia by Hamas militants before being surrendered to the Red Cross. Mozes, plus 29-year-old Arbel Yehoud and five Thai nationals, were released in Khan Younis.

After that, Israel temporarily suspended plans for releasing 110 Palestinian prisoners, citing security concerns and demanding greater assurances on future surrenders.

On Saturday, Hamas freed three more Israeli hostages, including 35-year-old Yarden Bibas and French-Israeli Ofer Kalderon, 54. Later that day, 65-year-old American-Israeli Keith Siegel was released. All were taken in the October 7 Hamas-led attack that began this war.