Raped, starved, branded, and left in total darkness – ex-hostages reveal horrors of Gaza captivity

Testimonies of returned hostages collected by Israel’s Health Ministry submitted in report to the UN reveals systematic sexual, physical,  and psychological torture of captives, along with intentional starvation, branding of skin with hot metal objects, and refusal of medical treatment.

By David Rosenberg, World Israel News

Gaza terrorists holding Israelis and foreign nationals captive following the invasion of southwestern Israel on October 7th systematically abused them and intentionally starved or denied medical treatment to many of their victims, according to the testimony of returned hostages.

On Saturday, the Israeli Health Ministry published its report to United Nations Special Rapporteur Alice Edwards, submitted last Monday, which provides details on the allegations lodged by former hostages against Hamas terrorists and others who held them captive in the Gaza Strip after October 7th.

The report, which does not cite individual former captives, is based upon the testimony of returned hostages, most of whom were released during the November 2023 ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

According to the report, the psychological and physical abuse of hostages – including sexual assault and torture – was common during their captivity, as was the denial of critical medical care and even food, with many captives intentionally starved.

“Women, men, and children who returned from captivity reported that they endured severe physical and sexual abuse, such as beatings, isolation, deprivation of food and water, branding, hair-pulling, and sexual assault,” the report said.

“Additionally, some of them reported that the captors sexually assaulted them or forced them to undress.”

One hostage reported being raped by a Hamas terrorist at gunpoint, while multiple women said their captors sexually assaulted them.

“In addition, some women reported that they were tied to beds while their captors stared at them.”

“On several occasions, captors forced women of all ages to undress while others, including the captors, watched.”

One woman who was injured during the October 7th invasion was tied up, preventing her from moving, while she was held in total darkness for 30 days.

As with many of the captives, she was denied medical care and was kept on a starvation diet.

“Other women also reported starvation and abuse by their captors.”

The male captives, the report continued, were subjected to “severe physical abuse,” and deliberate acts of humiliation, “including continuous starvation, beatings, burns with galvanized iron (branding), hair-pulling, confinement in closed rooms with a limited amount of food and water, being held in isolation with hands and feet tied, and being denied access to the bathroom, which forced them to defecate on themselves.”

Multiple children were tortured during captivity, with the report noting “signs of binding, scars, and marks consistent with trauma.”

“Two young children had burn marks on their lower limbs. One child
stated that the burns were the result of a deliberate branding with a heated object.”

“Both the child and adults who were with him in captivity described the incident as a purposeful branding event, not an accident. It was described as an extremely traumatic experience.”

Many captives were subjected to “solitary confinement, poor sanitation, severe medical neglect, lack of sleep, starvation, sexual abuse, violence, threats, and brainwashing through media designed to break their spirit and make them submissive.”

Roughly half of the returned hostages said they were “deliberately starved during their captivity.”

“They were given a poor diet, which often led to hunger that worsened over
time. In addition to inadequate nutrition, they were kept in dark spaces, increasing the risk of vitamin D deficiency.”

“This malnutrition resulted in an average weight loss of 8-15 kg (10-17% of body weight), with children losing an average of 10%, and in one extreme case, a girl lost 18% of her body weight.”

Infections and other illnesses, resulting from the poor sanitary conditions, starvation, and denial of medical treatment, were rampant, the report said.

“Many suffered from diarrhea, abdominal pain, and sometimes constipation. They had limited access to showers and returned with skin
infections, including Dermatitis.”

“Infections were detected in hospital cultures (Clostridium, Salmonella, Vibrio, Shigella, Giardia, E. coli). Some were diagnosed with Q fever, while two returned hostages suffered from acute case of Q fever. Several of the elderly women developed Deep Venous Thrombosis due to age, pre-existing medical conditions without medication, and lack of mobility during captivity.”

“Many hostages also suffered from untreated chronic conditions (e.g., heart failure, diabetes, hypothyroidism), leading to severe short-term medical deterioration, such as low blood pressure, bradycardia, and hypothermia.”

“In one case a hostage died from untreated medical complications. Also, several older women required urgent life-saving treatment due to untreated hypertension and hypothyroidism.”

Israeli Health Minister Uriel Busso (Shas) called the report a “wake-up call for the international community.”

“The report we are submitting to the UN is a harrowing testimony to the brutal experiences suffered by the hostages in Hamas captivity—cruel violence, psychological abuse, physical torment, and acts that defy comprehension,” said Busso.

“These actions cannot be tolerated and demand that the world awaken and take action. The report highlights the horrors endured by the hostages and reveals the brutality of the enemy with whom Israel is engaged.”

“The testimonies presented in this report serve as a wake-up call for the international community to apply increased pressure on Hamas and its supporters to release all hostages without delay. I urge the global community to utilize all available means to end this cruelty and bring the hostages home immediately. It is a moral and humanitarian imperative, and the time to act is running out.”

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