The four female Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers, who worked as observers along the Israeli-Gaza border, returned to Israel from Hamas captivity on Saturday. They shared part of their experiences with Israeli media, detailing difficult circumstances during their 477 days in Gaza. “There were periods when there was no food, when the IDF attacked near, and it was frightening. We supported one another, and we strengthened one another,” the girls shared.
. . ."However, the four girls, who were taken captive by armed terrorists after suffering physical abuse on Oct. 7, 2023, demonstrated strength, resilience and unity during the release ceremony — holding hands, smiling and waving to the crowds and cameras.
After the soldiers returned to Israel, it became clear that their show of strength was not a result of good treatment by their captors.
According to the brief statements released to the media, the girls had a difficult time during their 477 days of captivity.
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Clueless child |
They reported being forbidden to hold hands or to cry when held together. The girls were not given consistent food and were held in unsanitary conditions, even going months without showering.
The girls were apparently not all held together during the entire captivity. Some were even kept in civilian apartments for part of the time while spending the rest of their captivity in tunnels.
When the time for their release came, the girls were notified only shortly before and only then realized that Agam Berger would not be freed with them. Reportedly, one of the girls offered to stay behind with Berger but was refused by Hamas.
According to N12 news, the four girls told the family of Agam Berger that they will come to stay with her in the hospital when she is released on Saturday.
For the first few weeks after their captivity, the observers were held in civilian apartments in Gaza, where they were often forced to cook and clean for their captors, even when not given food for themselves. When being transferred from one place to another, the girls were disguised as Palestinian women to avoid notice by Israeli forces.