As more Israeli hostages return home, the details of their captivity under Hamas are surfacing—and they are horrifying. The world should be paying attention.
Newly released hostages describe “severe malnutrition, psychological torment and forced confinement in cages,” according to reports highlighted by CBN’s Raj Nair. They were held in tunnels for “over 430-plus days, not seeing light for the entire time.” Hamas taunted them with food, then snatched it away. They were repeatedly told they’d be freed “tomorrow,” only for that promise to be cruelly broken time and again. And when Hamas finally did release them, it wasn’t an act of mercy—it was a PR stunt.
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Hamas turned their hostage releases into a grotesque parade, designed to manipulate the world into thinking they were the victims. As Nate Buzolic points out, “The parade and the extravaganza that Hamas chose and elected to put on off the back of a falsely proclaimed genocide… these parades are sickening to watch because they don’t truly reflect what these hostages have endured and been through.”
One of the most gut-wrenching stories is that of Yaden Bibas. He was abducted Oct. 7, along with his wife and two infant children from Kibbutz Nir Oz. Hamas dragged him into Gaza, ripping out his beard, separating him from his family. His babies—yes, babies—have now spent two birthdays in captivity. And yet, Hamas forced him to “go on stage, hold a certificate, forced to wave for a camera, knowing that his wife and children are still very likely somewhere in Gaza,” as Buzolic revealed.
While Hamas celebrates its hostage-taking, Israel does the opposite. Israel doesn’t parade its victims; it prioritizes their healing.
“Israel’s goal is for these people to start healing, rebuilding and restoring the life that was stolen from them,” Buzolic notes. Unlike Hamas, which thrives on publicizing pain to fuel its propaganda, Israel understands that true justice is not about spectacle—it’s about dignity.
Perhaps the most glaring hypocrisy is the lopsided exchange rate of hostages: Israel has returned 900 convicted Hamas terrorists—many of them murderers—in exchange for just 34 innocent civilians. If Hamas truly wanted “equality for Palestinians,” as their Western apologists claim, “they should have said, ‘We’ll give you all the hostages, and we’ll take 100 back,’” Buzolic argued. Instead, they demanded an outrageous price—because to Hamas, human life is merely a bargaining chip.
Meanwhile, as Israeli hostages return, Palestinians in Gaza cheer their tormentors. “There are thousands upon thousands of Gazans who gather, who are cheering, celebrating, laughing, getting their phones out, making content online,” Buzolic observed. If you don’t see the stark moral difference here, you are either “spiritually blind or you hold some sort of deep anti-Semitic belief that you want to see Israel as the problem.”
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James Lasher is staff writer for Charisma Media.
Thank you so much for shedding light on what so many are afraid to talk about.
-A heartbroken Israeli