Hamas deliberately starving and sexually harassing hostages, ex-captives reveal

New report citing testimonies of 12 former hostages reveals Gaza terrorists intentionally starving Israeli captives, feeding them tiny portions of worm-ridden bread served with sewer water.

By David Rosenberg, World Israel News

Hamas terrorists assigned to guard Israeli hostages held captive in the Gaza Strip have intentionally and systematically used starvation, sexual harassment and humiliation, and other forms of physical and mental torture, to abuse those abducted on October 7th, 2023, a dozen former hostages say.

On Tuesday, Israel’s Health Ministry published a report based on the testimonies of 12 hostages who were returned to Israel this January and February as part of the most recent hostage deal.

The report also drew upon medical reports filed regarding the condition of hostages returned to Israel.

Only comments by the 12 hostages who agreed to be cited by the Health Ministry were included in the report.

According to the Health Ministry report, hostages held in Gaza were systematically abused both mentally and physically, including being subjected to various forms of torture.

The captives were intentionally starved, the report said, with hostages typically being fed only once a day, with a small meal which in most instances was made up primarily of either pita bread or rice.

The food which was provided was often moldy or worm-filled, while the water hostages were given was in many instances not fit for consumption. Hostages reported being forced to drink seawater in some instances, and sewer water in other cases.

The hostages were rarely permitted to bathe, being given the opportunity only once every several months, and then only in cold water, after which they were forced to dry off with a shared towel.

Both male and female hostages reported enduring regular sexual harassment and humiliation.

Some of the hostages were severely wounded or injured either on October 7th, or while in captivity. The injuries resulted in some cases from gunshot wounds, while in other cases, the hostages were beaten by crowds of Gazan civilians as they were first taken into the coastal enclave.

Hostages were routinely denied medical treatment for their injuries. In some cases, the captives were forced to treat their own wounds.

Dr. Hagit Mizrachi, head of the Health Ministry’s Medical Directorate, summarized the report in a letter to the International Committee of the Red Cross, noting that some of the hostages returned to Israel were listed in serious condition upon their arrival.

“Hostage survivors carry with them significant and irreversible physical damage that will accompany them for many years,” Mizrachi wrote.

“The most common is irreversible nerve damage caused by gunshot wounds, shrapnel, and prolonged binding of limbs, leading to substantial functional difficulties, including limitations in walking, driving, typing, and performing basic daily activities.”

Even months after their return to Israel, Mizrachi continued, some of the hostages are still undergoing intensive medical treatments for wounds suffered in captivity, including surgeries to remove pieces of shrapnel.

“In some cases, rehabilitation treatments are not expected to restore full function, and in others, chronic pain—whether nerve-related or skeletal—cannot be alleviated and is expected to become an inseparable part of the lives of many returnees. In addition, some are at the beginning of a series of surgeries, such as removing shrapnel pressing on nerves or treating scars scattered across the body.”

Ask ChatGPT

gaza stripHamasIsraeli captives in Gaza