Keith thought his son had been murdered, then heard his voice on radio; Yarden and Ofer suffered physical and mental abuse

The three hostages released Saturday spoke of appalling conditions including lack of food and frequent moves to new hiding places; Keith was forced to eat meat despite being a vegetarian; and Yarden Bibas, who learned Arabic in captivity, was imprisoned in a cage with Ofer Calderon and was subjected to physical and mental abuse.

Yael Ciechanover, Gal Ganot|
Keith Siegel, Yarden Bibas and Ofer Calderon returned to Israel Saturday morning after 484 days in captivity, during which they were held in very difficult conditions. Upon their return, they said they suffered from a lack of food and often were moved from place to place by Hamas terrorists.
Keith was held in Gaza City, where he stayed with other hostages and moved between safe houses and tunnels. The terrorists locked him in a room each time, so that he could not be found if anyone broke in. Keith, according to a report on the public broadcaster, Kan, recalls the days of his captivity in detail - and said that he thought his son Shai had been murdered until he heard his voice on the radio and realized that he was alive. His wife, Aviva, did not know what had happened to her son until the day she was released from captivity in the previous hostage deal and saw him.
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  חזרת החטופים
  חזרת החטופים
Returned hostages welcomed byt heir families
(Photos: IDF Spokesperson; Ronen Harish/GPO)
Keith also described how he was forced to eat meat despite being a vegetarian, and that he ate it when it was given to him since he received very little food. The last time he ate before he was released was Friday afternoon.
In addition, the public broadcaster reported that Yarden Bibas learned Arabic in captivity, and that the terrorists treated Ofer Calderon as a military reservist - which is why he was released in a military uniform. Yarden and Ofer said that during their first days of captivity in Khan Younis the terrorists beat them and locked them in cages - as described by the hostages who were with them and who were released in the previous deal. The two were subjected to severe physical and mental abuse, and were held in tunnels and buildings alongside other hostages. Among other things, the cruel video in which Yarden was filmed while the terrorists informed him of the death of his wife Shiri and his children Ariel and Kfir is particularly memorable - a statement that Israel has so far been unable to verify or discount.
When Ofer arrived at the collection point with the IDF on Saturday, he asked the soldiers for a beer - but because of he was weak and just out of captivity he was told that it could only be done gradually.
Keith Siegel reunited with his family at Ichilov Hospital
(Video: Oz Shechter, GPO)

Ofer Calderon is reunited with his wife
(Video: Omer Meron / GPO)

Yarden Bibas is reunited with family members
(Video: Omer Meron / GPO)

All three of the hostages who returned Saturday testified that they were exposed to the media, especially Al Jazeera, and that they saw the demonstrations for their release. According to them, the protests gave them strength and hope that they would eventually be reunited with their families.
At Ichilov Hospital, where Keith Siegel was taken, Deputy Director General Professor Gil Fire said this evening that "an initial assessment of his condition revealed that his condition is overall fine and stable, allowing him to spend time with his family, both to rest and to process the experiences of the last few days and the entire period. We will continue to accompany Keith and Mr. Gadi Mozes and examine in more depth the effects of the captivity. We will provide them with everything they need, including ancillary services. We will continue to keep them in the hospital as long as their medical condition requires and also provide additional tests, according to their wishes and those of their families."
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Meanwhile, Moran, the daughter of Gadi Mozes, who was released in the previous round on Thursday, told Ynet Saturday evening: "I call on the entire public to take to the streets and fight until the last hostage is released. We must ensure that the rounds of release continue and move on to phase two of the deal as quickly as possible. We are there for my father, hugging him, and asking to maintain the privacy of my father and the family."
The other hostages who were returned in the current deal also spoke of food shortages, being moved from place to place and even being forced to stay in tunnels. Two of them - Arbel Yehoud and Gadi Mozes, who were held by Islamic Jihad - said they were alone for the entire period, and in fact the first time they saw an Israeli was when they met each other before they were released.
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