New Delhi:
New details have emerged from recently freed Israeli hostages who endured over 15 months in captivity under Palestinian group Hamas in the besieged Gaza Strip.
Gadi Mozes, 80, was among those released on Thursday. He told his family that for the entire duration of his captivity, he was held alone, meeting another Israeli hostage only days before his release.
According to a Times of Israel report, for about 70 days, Mozes was in total darkness, locked in a small room without any human contact. Throughout the war, he was moved between multiple locations but was never held in Hamas’s underground tunnels.
He knew his longtime partner, Efrat Katz, had been murdered in the October 7 attack but had no information about his daughter until his release. Moran Mozes, who survived the attack, was among the first to greet him upon his return to Israel.
According to the report, for much of his captivity, Mozes was confined to a two-square-meter space. To keep himself occupied, he counted the tiles on the floor and solved math problems in his head. The report claims that, every day, he paced approximately seven kilometres inside his tiny room.
His glasses were broken during his kidnapping, leaving him struggling to see for two months. Eventually, he was given new ones and permitted to read two books. Mozes lost about 15 kilograms during his time in captivity.
The hostages’ release on Thursday was marred by chaotic scenes.
In northern Gaza, 20-year-old Israeli soldier Agam Berger was escorted by Hamas militants through Jabalia before being handed over to the Red Cross. Footage showed her emerging from a damaged building before walking to safety. In Khan Younis, Mozes, 29-year-old Arbel Yehoud, and five Thai nationals were also handed over.
In response, Israel briefly delayed the planned release of 110 Palestinian prisoners, demanding better security assurances for future handovers.
Hamas and Israel are set to conduct their next swap today, when three more Israelis will be freed in exchange for 183 Palestinian prisoners.