A 12-year-old boy held hostage by Hamas has recounted the unthinkable treatment and abuse he was subjected to, including not being allowed to move, waiting hours for bread, and being told by captors that Israel was destroyed.
Many of the horrors, torture, and abuse experienced by the hostages has been well-documented. While it is painful to hear, it is crucial for the world to recognize the subhuman evil of Hamas. In addition we need to keep at the forefront of our mind that many hostages are still going through unimaginable horrors.
Eitan Yahalomi was abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz, and was among 105 hostages released during a truce in November. His father, Ohad, is still being held hostage.
Eitan spoke with Ynet, describing some details of his capture and captivity.
The boy was dragged from his home by terrorists and forced onto a motorcycle that sped back to Gaza. His mother and two sisters were placed on another motorcycle but at the border, their captors fled from an Israeli tank and the three miraculously escaped.
Eitan recalled that when he arrived in Gaza, Palestinian civilians beat him and other hostages in the street.
“That was a frightening experience,” he said.
At first, he was kept alone, which he described as “very bad, frightening. I sat on the bed all the time, that’s all I did.”
He said his guard did not let him move unless it was to use the bathroom. He was permitted to listen a little to a radio and “it was nice to hear things in Hebrew.”
Later he was taken to another location with other hostages. There he met a good friend from his kibbutz and despite having very few resources, they somehow managed to play card games and draw.
Eitan spoke about his concerns for his captive father, Ohad.
“I tried to ask about him while I was there but they didn’t know anything. He has to come back as soon as possible. He and all the others must be brought back.”
Terrifyingly, Eitan had little knowledge about what had happened to his family. His captors told him that his mother was a hostage.
“Sometimes they would tell me that they would soon take me to be with her and then I had hope. I imagined what had happened to [my family] and tried to speak with them inside my head. I was afraid that perhaps something had happened to them. The terrorists told me that the kibbutz no longer existed and the State of Israel didn’t exist.”
He would sometimes wait hours until he was fed a meal of pita and a pickle, or some rice that he described as “disgusting.” He said he would take his mind off it by fantasizing about the food he got at home.
He only found out that his mother had not been abducted when he returned to Israel and was told that she was free.
“I was happy and I asked how come she was here,” he recalled.
Shortly after his release, the boy’s aunt, Devorah Cohen, told media that his captors threatened the children with a gun when they cried, to keep them quiet.
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