Harrowing accounts of abuse exposed from Hamas imprisonment: sexual, mental, and physical torment

Sometimes, the guards would tell the abducted men that no one cared about them or that no one would come to rescue them. However, one day they were allowed to watch Al Jazeera’s Arabic broadcast and saw a rally in Tel Aviv of the families of the abductees. One of the men recognized his face on the signs in the crowd. It was also his birthday, but he knew the kidnappers had a notebook to keep track of the date. This realization made him feel like he was not forgotten, according to Aviram Meir, Almog’s uncle.

The period of captivity for the abductees in Gaza is based on interviews with relatives, security, and medical officials. Details of their experiences are now being revealed for the first time. Much remains unknown about what the three men and Noa Argamani, who was also kidnapped from the Nova festival, went through during their captivity. Israeli security officials asked the abductees and their relatives to keep the details of their time in captivity confidential at first.

Once the previously released abductees shared their full accounts of the abuses they suffered, it became clear that they had undergone physical, mental, and sexual abuse during their captivity. A doctor treating them stated that despite initial positive assessments, the abductees had experienced physical and mental torture. The successful rescue operation may prompt Hamas to change how they hide hostages but may not necessarily improve the conditions in which they are held, according to Palestinian political commentator Younes al-Zourei.

It remains unclear where the three male abductees were kept before being rescued, although it is known that they were likely moved frequently to avoid detection. American intelligence officials in Israel are assisting in locating abductees, including the three men who were held together for an extended period before the rescue mission was carried out. A former commander in the Israeli army emphasized the high level of intelligence required for such a successful rescue operation.