‘Civilians beat us’: Israeli teen discusses Hamas captivity

‘When we arrived in Gaza, many people beat us. We heard gunshots and shouting in Arabic. They were waiting for us. They were civilians,’ Yahalomi said, describing his entry into Gaza.

By JNS

In a poignant interview for the “Children of October 7” social media project, 13-year-old Eitan Yahalomi from Kibbutz Nir Oz shared the harrowing details of his captivity at the hands of Hamas terrorists in Gaza.

The French-Israeli survivor, who was released in November, then aged 12, as part of a prisoner exchange deal, recounted instances of physical abuse, persistent hunger, and being forced to watch disturbing footage.

Yahalomi was kidnapped from his home during the Oct. 7 Hamas onslaught. His father, Ohad, who was shot during the abduction, remains in captivity, while his mother, Batsheva, and little sister Yael managed to escape an attempted kidnapping.

“When we arrived in Gaza, many people beat us. We heard gunshots and shouting in Arabic. They were waiting for us. They were civilians,” Yahalomi said, describing his entry into Gaza.

When asked if he had felt scared, he responded candidly, “A bit, to be honest.”

Throughout his captivity, Yahalomi faced constant hunger. “My daily ration was a pita and a cucumber,” he revealed. He also spoke of being subjected to disturbing content. “They showed me videos of them killing people. They seemed happy about it.”

When asked whether he tried to avoid watching, Yahalomi explained, “No, it wouldn’t have mattered anyway, he wouldn’t have allowed it. I saw even worse things. These images are constantly in my mind.”

As for his ability to sleep at night, Yahalomi added with stark honesty, “Not much. I’ve been through the worst, and that’s that.”