Four male hostages are officially home after their release on Saturday.
THE STORIES OF RELEASED MALE HOSTAGES
(ILTV)
The testimonies of the freed hostages so far are harrowing—ranging from prolonged isolation to immense physical and psychological abuse. Each hostage has their own story, experiences, and traumas.
Ofer Calderon, Keith Siegel, and Yarden Bibas are the latest hostages to return home after more than 484 days in Hamas captivity. While all three men miraculously walked out of Gaza on their own two feet, their time in captivity tells a much darker story.
According to Israeli media reports, all three men were held in harsh conditions, frequently moved to different locations, and had little food.
Keith Siegel, 65, is the first American-Israeli hostage to be released in this deal.
Kidnapped from Kfar Aza, reports indicate that Siegel was held in Gaza City with other hostages. He was occasionally kept in tunnels but spent most of his time locked in rooms inside various homes to avoid detection. With barely any food, Siegel—who is a vegetarian—was forced to eat meat to survive. Hamas released a propaganda video of Siegel last April.
Reports state that Bibas and Calderon were held together at the beginning of their captivity, brutally beaten by terrorists, locked in cages, and subjected to both physical and psychological abuse. The men say they were held underground and in buildings, frequently relocated, and at times held with other hostages.
At the time of Calderon’s release, Hamas dressed him in military clothing, treating him as if he were a reservist soldier.
Yarden Bibas, 36, was taken from Nir Oz. He walked out of Hamas captivity without his wife, Shiri, and their two young children, Kfir and Ariel, who remain hostages. According to the framework of the deal, they were supposed to be released on the first day of the agreement, but they remain in captivity.
Bibas said he was constantly relocated in Khan Younis and even learned Arabic.
According to reports, he endured horrific psychological abuse, including being forced to make a video claiming his wife and children were killed in an IDF airstrike in November 2023. He said his captors constantly spoke about them to torment him.
New details have also emerged about released hostage Gadi Moses, who was held alone for his entire 15 months in captivity. He reported that every five days, he was given a single bowl of water and a cup to shower. He lost 15 kilograms during his time in captivity.
The five Thai nationals released said they were held in underground tunnels, where they struggled to breathe and were not always given food.
Meanwhile, the mother of Emily Damari, who was freed in the first hostage release of this deal, revealed that her daughter was held in UNRWA facilities, where her captors refused to provide her with medical treatment. Damari lost two fingers in captivity after being shot on October 7.
The Bibas family released a statement saying that “a quarter of their heart” has returned home after 15 months, as Yarden comes back to an unbearable reality. They continue to call for the release of Shiri and the children.