Freed hostages were isolated in tunnels, starved, and degraded

On Saturday, Hamas released Tal Shoham, Omer Wenkert, Omer Shem Tov, Eliya Cohen, Avera Mengistu, and Hisham Al-Sayed to Israel.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

The six hostages freed on Saturday, like others who have been released, have shared stories of deprivation, humiliation, abuse, starvation, and isolation during their captivity in Gaza.

On Saturday, Hamas released Tal Shoham, Omer Wenkert, Omer Shem Tov, Eliya Cohen, Avera Mengistu, and Hisham Al-Sayed to Israel.

Most of the freed hostages describe being held in isolation in tunnels and given very little food.

Eliya Cohen was shackled for much of his captivity and was kept alone in darkness. Occasionally, his captors would shine a flashlight in his eyes to create mental confusion.

Cohen was captured at the Nova Music Festival and fled into a “death shelter,” into which terrorists threw grenades that caused now-deceased hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin to lose his arm.

Eliya was shot in the leg and did not receive adequate medical attention from his captors in Gaza. He learned only after his release that his partner had survived the terror attack.

Hamas captors made Omer Shem Tov disguise himself as a Muslim woman. He was spat on and forced to kiss terrorists in a ceremony.

Shem Tov managed to maintain Jewish observance during his captivity and tried to make kiddush with whatever he had.

In the final eight months, Shem Tov, Tal Shoham, and Omer Wenkert were held together in a tunnel where they endured extreme humidity and were given very little food.

The hostages reported losing track of time and having no idea what month it was.

Until he was placed in a tunnel with two other hostages, Wenkert had been held in complete isolation and had no idea there were efforts to free him and the other hostages.

Two of the hostages, Hisham Al-Sayed and Avera Mengistu, were held for over a decade in Gaza.

Al-Sayed’s appearance has entirely transformed, and medical staff have reported that he is suffering from severe psychological trauma.

Mengistu greeted his family but has said very little since his release.