Released hostages tell their story

Hamas hostages: “Hungry and in constant fear”

Hamas staged the handover of the hostages (pictured: Or Levy) as a propaganda spectacle.(Bild: BASHAR TALEB / AFP / picturedesk.com)

Following the release of three more Israeli hostages of the Islamist Hamas in the Gaza Strip, shocking details have emerged about the circumstances under which they were held hostage. Or Levy's brother reported that the 34-year-old had been "hungry, barefoot and in constant fear" for 16 months.

Levy was released on Saturday along with two other men as part of a ceasefire agreement with Hamas. The pictures of the emaciated hostages caused international horror. Hamas staged the release of the hostages as a propaganda spectacle - an approach that was strongly condemned internationally.

Chained up and in dark tunnels
Israeli media reported that one of the men had been chained up and had spent almost the entire time in a dark tunnel. He was unable to stand up straight or walk.

Levy only learned of his wife's death in the Hamas massacre on October 7, 2023 after his release. At a moving reunion, Levy was able to embrace his surviving three-year-old son. Hostage Eli Sharabi also did not know that he had lost his wife, daughters and brother.

"Immediate danger to life" for remaining hostages
The medical professor responsible for the hostages, Hagai Levine, spoke of the "brutal, inhumane conditions" under which the Hamas hostages were held. He warned that the remaining hostages in the Gaza Strip were in "imminent mortal danger" and called for their immediate release.

The examinations of the freed hostages had produced alarming results. Some of them were suffering from extreme malnutrition and multiple organ damage. While held hostage, they had experienced "extremely poor hygiene, lack of fresh air and sunlight" as well as extreme physical and psychological abuse by the kidnappers, Levine said. He warned of serious long-term physical and psychological consequences.

Trump's "Riviera" plans infuriate Hamas
US President Donald Trump's plans to take over the Gaza Strip and turn it into a "Riviera of the Middle East" recently caused a stir. Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya declared on Monday in Tehran that this plan was "doomed to failure": "We will bring it down, just as we brought down the plans before it," he said on Monday at a commemorative event to mark the 46th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution.