Elkana Bohbot: ’I’ve never experienced abuse like that in my life.’

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Former hostage Elkana Bohbot said Hamas captors subjected him and other Israelis held in Gaza to psychological abuse that began with apparent kind treatment followed by extreme cruelty.

Bohbot, one of the producers of the Nova Music Festival, spoke about the experience during an interview on the podcast “Voice of Nova” after spending 738 days in Hamas captivity in the Gaza Strip.

He said he was being held alongside two other hostages, identified as Ohad and Bar, when a captor unexpectedly brought them a tray of lamb shank and rice.

“One day we had this meal he prepared for us,” Bohbot said. “They brought us lamb shank – it’s called mandi. It’s the richest meal in Gaza.”

According to Bohbot, the hostages were surprised by the meal because it was served during the middle of the day while they were underground.

“Suddenly, in the middle of the day, he brings you a tray with lamb shank and rice,” he said. “They cook it underground, and it’s delicious, rich – a very rich Arab dish – and he gives it to us.”

Bohbot said the hostages quickly ate the food because they worried the captor might take it away.

After finishing the meal, Bohbot recalled telling the captor: “Listen, this is very honorable, this is food with a lot of respect.”

He said the captor then responded: “Come, come, I’ll show you what respect is. I’ll show you why you ate this.”

According to Bohbot, the terrorist then played footage showing Israeli combat engineers being killed in a bombing involving an explosive device.

“Today we killed thirty of your soldiers – bon appétit,” the captor told them, Bohbot said.

Bohbot described the moment as one of the most severe forms of abuse he experienced during captivity.

“He shows you the video, and you throw everything up,” he said. “I’ve never experienced abuse like that in my life.”

The post Freed hostage Elkana Bohbot details Hamas psychological torture appeared first on World Israel News.

Ex-captive Elkana Bohbot’s wife posts gender reveal on her Instagram account, announcing that their family is growing.

By World Israel News Staff

Former hostage Elkana Bohbot and his wife, Rebecca, revealed the gender of their unborn baby in an Instagram post on Wednesday, marking a new chapter for their growing family, alongside their 5-year-old son, Re’em.

Elkana Bohbot was kidnapped from the Nova Music Festival during the Hamas-led October 7 massacre, when his son was just three years old. He was held in the Gaza Strip under harsh conditions, enduring starvation and abuse, but survived nearly two years in captivity. Elkana was ultimately freed in an October 2025 ceasefire and hostage exchange deal brokered by President Donald Trump.

Since his return, Rebecca has documented Elkana’s gradual reintegration into family life on social media. Her latest post shared joyful news: The couple is expecting their second child.

In the video, the family of three is seen sitting together on a couch in their home, with a cake and champagne glasses placed on a table in front of them. As part of a gender reveal, the parents closed their eyes and pressed the glasses into the cake, which would later reveal colored frosting inside — pink for a girl or blue for a boy.

While they lifted the glasses and looked, their young son watched eagerly. Elkana exclaimed, “I knew it!” as the frosting was revealed to be pink, meaning Re’em will soon have a baby sister.

In late March, in honor of Elkana’s 37th birthday, Rebecca shared a heartfelt Instagram post reflecting on their journey.

“The life we have now is not what we imagined, but it’s ours,” she wrote. “Your return to us five months ago is a miracle, and we feel that every day. Today I’m not just celebrating your birthday — I’m celebrating that you’re here. That you’re breathing, that you’re hugging us, and that we’re continuing onward.”

The post ‘I knew it!’ — Former hostage reveals gender of unborn baby appeared first on World Israel News.

Former hostage Elkana Bohbot recounted how, during his captivity, Hamas terrorists repeatedly invoked his family to psychologically torment him—telling him his wife had either left him or was dead.

Former hostage, Elkana Bohbot, talks about his time in Hamas captivity in Gaza including the psychological terror and humiliation he was submitted to.

English subs thanks to Selena: https://t.co/Eeacbc7UKn pic.twitter.com/4rv0oRxdze

— Documenting Israel (@DocumentIsrael) December 29, 2025

The post WATCH: Former hostage Elkana Bohbot reveals psychological torture at the hands of Hamas appeared first on World Israel News.

While performing on stage, Israeli singer Eyal Golan welcomed freed hostage Elkana Bohbot and his wife, praising her unwavering devotion throughout his captivity and declaring that the entire IDF stands behind them.

The post WATCH: Israeli singer welcomes freed hostage Elkana Bohbot on stage during concert appeared first on World Israel News.

Freed hostage Elkana Bohbot burst into tears upon receiving a symbolic Nova Festival flag from the production company, honoring the event where he was taken hostage by Hamas on October 7.

אלקנה בוחבוט, שורד השבי פרץ בבכי קורע לב לאחר שקיבל לידיו את דגל חברת הפקת המסיבות ממנה היה חלק בהפקת הנובה, יחד עם חבריו הטובים-התאומים אושר ומיכאל וקנין ז”ל שנרצחו באכזריות במהלך הטבח ברעים.
אלקנה לא ידע שאיבד את חבריו עד שחזר לישראל. pic.twitter.com/w1GwZnYsVp

— מה חדש. What’s new (@Gloz111) October 21, 2025

Last night, former hostage Elkana Bohbot celebrated his release with his 5-year-old son, Reem.

When we say light shone back into our world, this is what we mean. pic.twitter.com/4aHW0OT77G

— Hen Mazzig (@HenMazzig) October 20, 2025

The post WATCH: Released hostage Elkana Bohbot tears up receiving Nova festival flag from Oct. 7 appeared first on World Israel News.

Hamas has been releasing a hostage video every week. This is the third time they published footage of Elkana Bohbot.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

On Saturday, Hamas released a third video of 35-year-old hostage Elkana Bohbot.

The video began with Bohbot addressing his wife, Rivka: “I think of you every single day and night — every hour. I see you and our son, Re ’em, in my dreams. You’re my hero. I call on everyone, the IDF and the government, to bring us home.”

Through the Hostage and Missing Family Members Forum, the Bohbot family issued a statement, “We are heartbroken and in utter shock. At the end of Passover, a holiday meant to celebrate freedom, we are living through its exact opposite. How much pain can one person be expected to bear? We are gravely worried about Elkana’s physical and mental state. That’s clear to anyone who sees him. How much longer will he be forced to wait and simply ‘stay strong’?”

The family’s statement continued, stressing that Bohbot can sense “how much he was wronged” and asked, “How is it possible that the State of Israel did not include him, a father of a young child, in the ‘humanitarian list’ they formulated?”

Hamas has been releasing a hostage video every week, and this is the third time in a month that they have published footage featuring Bohbot.

In a previous video, Bohbot said, “The real psychological battle is waking up each day without my son, without my wife. That’s what’s truly affecting my health.”

“Don’t you understand? I need to get out of here. I have no food… I’m suffocating. I just want to be free. Please, help me,” Elkana pleaded.

Rivka Bohbot has spoken publicly about the anguish she has experienced watching the Hamas videos.

“That’s not my husband’s face. I saw anger,” she said in response to previously released footage.

“I pulled over to the side of the road and started watching. As I saw my husband’s lips, his cheeks, his sunken eyes, I broke down in tears. My son asked, ‘Why are you crying?’ and I told him, ‘Just a moment, Ram,’ before saying, ‘Mom misses Dad.’ I couldn’t let him see the video.

That man… he’s not the same person who left us smiling, with his blonde hair, on October 6. That’s how our son should remember him. No child should ever have to witness something like this.”

The post That’s not my husband’s face’: Hostage’s wife reacts to cruel Hamas video appeared first on World Israel News.

Bohbot, an Israeli-Colombian dual national from Mevaseret Zion near Jerusalem, was kidnapped by terrorists from the Supernova music festival near Kibbutz Re’im.

By JNS

The Hamas terrorist organization on Saturday night released a second propaganda video of Israeli hostage Elkana Bohbot, pleading for his freedom.

Bohbot’s family authorized the publication of the footage.

“For the second time, I am prisoner No. 22. I want to tell you, prime minister … every morning I wake up without my son! Without my wife! … I want to get out of here!” Bohbot is seen as saying in the video, breaking into tears.

The captive’s family said in a statement, “We are anxious and worried. How much longer can Elkana survive in the hell of Gaza? We are pleading with the people of Israel—listen to Elkana’s cry. Do not forget him. We must save him and our brothers in captivity. This is the second sign of life we have received this week. How many more will there be? Signs of life must not become final memories.

“Elkana, if you can hear us—we will not stop fighting until you come home to us.”

On Monday, Hamas published a video of Bohbot, 35, alongside fellow hostage Yosef-Haim Ohana, 24.

Bohbot and 58 other hostages, of whom 24 are believed by Israel to be alive, have been held in Gaza for 540 days, ever since Hamas led a massive onslaught on Israel’s northwestern Negev on Oct. 7, 2023, killing roughly 1,200 people and abducting 251 more into the Strip.

Bohbot, an Israeli-Colombian dual national from Mevaseret Zion near Jerusalem, was kidnapped by terrorists from the Supernova music festival near Kibbutz Re’im.

He was abducted while he and a friend tried to provide aid to wounded fellow partygoers amid Hamas’s massacre.

Bohbot was previously last seen in video footage of the terrorist attack, in which he lay crumpled on the floor with his face bloodied and eyes wide with fear.

On Saturday, rumors surfaced that Hamas had agreed to another hostage-terrorist swap agreement, which would see the release of five abductees, including Israeli-American Edan Alexander, ahead of Passover.

However, Israeli officials said that a significant gap remained between the negotiating parties, with Israel demanding the release of at least 10 hostages.

On March 18, the IDF renewed “extensive” strikes on Hamas terrorist targets in the Gaza Strip, after Phase 1 of the previous hostage-prisoner deal expired at midnight of March 1.

The revived Israeli military campaign has been officially named “Operation Strength and Sword.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said the military was acting after Hamas terrorists rebuffed several proposals by US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff to extend the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire.

The post Hamas releases second propaganda video of Israeli captive Elkana Bohbot appeared first on World Israel News.

Hamas released a second carefully orchestrated propaganda video of Israeli hostage Elkana Bohbot, forcing him to tearfully plead for his freedom.

Hamas releases second propaganda video featuring hostage Elkana Bohbot.
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Days after releasing footage showing him alongside fellow hostage Yosef-Chaim Ohana, terror group publishes another video of Elkana Bohbot, kidnapped from Nova music festival
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The footage, approved for… pic.twitter.com/YTDzmITRc2

— Ynetnews (@ynetnews) March 29, 2025

The post WATCH: Hamas forces Israeli hostage to tearfully plead for his freedom appeared first on World Israel News.