Survivors of Hamas Captivity Reveal the Horror of Their 505-Day Ordeal in Gaza Tunnels

Survivors of Hamas Captivity Reveal the Horror of Their 505-Day Ordeal in Gaza Tunnels

By: Fern Sidman

After enduring 505 days of captivity under Hamas, four Israeli hostages—Omer Wenkert, Omer Shem Tov, Tal Shoham, and Eliya Cohen—have finally returned to Israel on Saturday, detailing the inhumane conditions, intentional starvation, and severe abuse they suffered at the hands of their captors. As Israel National News  reported, these individuals were subjected to prolonged isolation, extreme deprivation, and both physical and psychological torture in the underground tunnels of Hamas.

According to the information provided in the INN report, these former hostages endured conditions that violate every standard of human rights, shedding light on the brutal reality of Hamas’ hostage-taking tactics. Their testimonies paint a grim picture of systematic cruelty, forced isolation, and the calculated degradation of hostages.

Among the most harrowing accounts comes from Eliya Cohen, who revealed that he spent the majority of his captivity with fellow hostages Or Levy, Eli Sharabi, and Alon Ohel. As INN reported, Cohen suffered severe abuse throughout his imprisonment.

He was shot in the leg and denied medical care, leading to severe wounds and infections that were left untreated.

His hands and feet were bound for extended periods, causing deep lacerations and unbearable pain.

For months, he was forced to remain in a cramped, dark tunnel, unable to stand up, while Hamas fighters ate food in front of him, mocking his suffering.

Hostages were deliberately starved, receiving only minimal food while their captors consumed meals in their presence to intensify their suffering.

Occasionally, a flashlight was brought into the tunnel for a few hours, providing rare moments of visibility in an otherwise pitch-black prison.

These revelations, as reported by INN, highlight the extreme cruelty and inhumanity Hamas inflicted upon their captives.

As the INN report detailed, Omer Shem Tov suffered from complete isolation after being initially held with Itay Regev, a hostage who was released in a November 2023 exchange. After Regev’s release, Shem Tov was plunged into an unbearable state of solitude, disconnected from the outside world.

He lost 17 kilograms due to prolonged starvation and was transferred between tunnels and apartments.

During these transfers, he was forced to dress as a Muslim woman, a deliberate act of humiliation by his captors. Hamas kept him inside a tiny bucket within a tunnel, preventing him from moving freely.

His captors spat on him and cursed him, further breaking his spirit. Despite these horrors, Shem Tov maintained Jewish traditions, even making Kiddush with the little he had—a testament to his resilience.

Moments before his release, Hamas forced him to kiss his captors’ hands, turning his departure into another act of subjugation and psychological torment. According to the report on INN, Shem Tov’s testimony exposes not just the physical abuse, but also the psychological warfare Hamas waged against its hostages.

As INN reported, Tal Shoham and Omer Wenkert were imprisoned together for eight months, enduring subhuman conditions in Hamas’ humid tunnels, where they faced  wxtreme weight loss due to near-total starvation, a lack of seasonal change, as the deep underground tunnels remained at a constant temperature, making their environment both claustrophobic and disorienting. They also experienced total disconnection from the outside world, leaving Wenkert particularly deprived of any news or hope from the surface. In a final act of manipulation, Hamas “stuffed” them with large amounts of food before their release, attempting to disguise the months of starvation they endured.

The INN report emphasized that these conditions were designed not only to weaken the hostages physically but also to strip them of their dignity and mental fortitude.

The testimonies of these four survivors, as documented by INN, reveal a clear and systematic strategy of torture by Hamas, including intentional starvation as a means of control, isolation tactics to break down their mental resilience, physical violence, including shootings and beatings, deprivation of medical care, leading to infections and untreated wounds, and  psychological degradation including forcing hostages to perform humiliating acts before their release.

According to the information contained in the INN report, these hostage testimonies further expose Hamas’ complete disregard for human rights and its willingness to use hostages as tools for terror and psychological warfare.

The return of these four hostages is a moment of relief for their families and the Israeli public, but the scars—both physical and emotional—will take years to heal. The Israeli government has pledged to provide comprehensive medical and psychological support to those who have been freed, recognizing that their ordeal is far from over.

Meanwhile, the fight for the remaining hostages still in Hamas captivity continues. Dozens of Israelis remain imprisoned in Gaza, and their families are demanding international pressure to ensure their immediate release.

As INN reported, these stories are a harrowing reminder of Hamas’ brutality and reinforce the urgent need for Israel and its allies to secure the freedom of those still suffering in captivity.

The testimonies of Omer Wenkert, Omer Shem Tov, Tal Shoham, and Eliya Cohen are more than just accounts of survival—they are evidence of Hamas’ systemic war crimes, as the INN report has made clear. Their suffering exposes the reality of life inside Hamas’ tunnels, where hostages are subjected to starvation, torture, and dehumanization on a scale that defies comprehension.

As Israel continues its efforts to rescue those still trapped in Gaza, the stories of these four men serve as a powerful reminder of the evil that was unleashed on October 7, 2023. The international community must not look away—for as long as even one hostage remains in Hamas’ grip, justice remains unfulfilled.