IDF discovers child’s drawings, caged cells where hostages were kept in tunnels

Inside the tunnel, conditions were humid with little air, and very dark with no sunlight. 

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

When the IDF accessed a tunnel after a fight with terrorists in Khan Younis, they found child’s drawings, mattresses, caged cells, and other evidence of hostages being held on the premises, according to the IDF.

The IDF entered the tunnel which was 830 meters (half a mile) long, 2o meters (22 yards deep) with hidden explosives.

After battling the terrorists in the tunnel, the IDF emerged through blast-proof doors to a space underneath the house of a terrorist.

In the area, they saw mattresses, caged cells, kitchen and food supplies, and a drawing that was made by 6-year-old Emilia Aloni who was freed in late November.

Inside the tunnel, conditions were humid with little air, and very dark with no sunlight.

The IDF spokesperson said, “We saw five caged cells where we believe up to 20 hostages were held at various times, without any daylight, hardly any air, a lack of oxygen, and terrible humidity.”

Some of the hostages who had been held there were freed and others were moved to other locations.

Images from the tunnel show a makeshift kitchen, a water heater, a fan, water bottles, a toilet, and clothes belonging to hostages.

After the troops took photographs of what they saw, they destroyed the tunnel.

The conditions the IDF witnessed have taken a physical and psychological toll on hostages.

Over a month since more than 100 hostages were released from Gaza, many are still receiving medical or psychiatric care according to a report from Israel’s Welfare Ministry.

Two of the freed hostages remain in hospitals and the National Insurance Institute has provided 54 with caregivers offering services such as art therapy and psychological treatment.

The released hostages are all receiving ongoing medical care and 85 are supervised by nurses.

Regarding the living arrangements of the released captives, 18 have returned to their regular homes, 27 are now staying in hotels after their communities were destroyed on October 7th and 26 are currently staying with other family members.