Released hostage Omer Shem Tov was forced to disguise himself as a Muslim woman and lowered into an underground tunnel in a bucket. He was spit on, cursed, and compelled to kiss his Hamas captor in a staged ceremony.
Other hostages were shackled for months, starved, and left in complete darkness, their bodies wasting away. According to testimonies published by Israeli media, the six freed hostages endured months of isolation, abuse, and deprivation in Hamas’s underground tunnel network.
Eliya Cohen, one of the released hostages, recounted being shackled for extended periods, suffering deep cuts from the restraints. He and his fellow captives were primarily held in sealed tunnels with limited access to light.
Hamas operatives would occasionally shine flashlights into their eyes, a form of psychological manipulation. They would also deliberately eat in front of the hostages, tormenting them with food deprivation.
Shem Tov described being forced to disguise himself as a Muslim woman when being moved between locations. At one point, he was lowered into a tunnel in a bucket. He recalled being spit on and cursed by his captors.
Although he lost 17 kilograms during captivity, he remained committed to his Jewish faith and performed kiddush despite the near total lack of resources. Further, according to Israeli media, it was revealed that Hamas fighters forced Shem Tov to wave and kiss one of the guards during a “ceremony” staged by the terror group. (JPost/VFI News)
“To the present hour we both hunger and thirst, and we are poorly clothed, and beaten, and homeless. And we labor, working with our own hands. Being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we endure; being defamed, we entreat.” – 1 Corinthians 4:11-13a
Originally posted on vfinews.com
