Gaza truce: the brutal conditions to which the last Israeli hostages to be released were subjected

Yarden Bibas, Keith Siegel and Ofer Kalderon, the Israeli hostages released by Hamas last Saturday after they spent 484 days held in the Gaza Strip as part of the ceasefire agreement with Israel, say they endured harsh torture by the Palestinian terrorist group.

It should be noted that Yarden Bibas returned to Israel, but his wife Shiri and his young sons Ariel and Kfir, who were kidnapped during the October 7 massacre when they were only 4 years old and 9 months old, respectively, are still being held in Gaza and so far it is unknown whether they are alive.

Following their release, Keith Siegel was transferred to Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv, while Yarden Bibas and Ofer Kalderon were taken to Sheba Hospital, located near that city.

Israel's Channel 14 reported Sunday that the condition of the three former detainees is good although they recommend keeping them under observation for a few more days.

"They arrived in relatively good condition, but we know that they suffered severe abuse under Hamas captivity. The decision to stay more days in the hospital is theirs alone; the hospital will allow them to stay as long as they need or request," Sheba Hospital stated, added Channel 14.

Brutal conditions of captivity

Bibas, Kalderon and Siegel were subjected to brutal conditions during their captivity, which included severe malnutrition, psychological torture and confinement in cages.

The family of Keith Siegel, a 65-year-old U.S. citizen who immigrated to Israel in his youth, claimed to Israel's Channel 12 that their loved one lost a large amount of weight as a result of food shortages and that, despite being a vegetarian, he was forced to eat meat in order to survive.

During his captivity he heard on a radio broadcast that his son had survived the October 7 massacre.

Ofer Kalderon (53), who also holds French citizenship, was abducted along with his children during the brutal 2023 attack. However, he did not know they were alive until shortly before returning to Israel. In fact, they were released that same year as part of a ceasefire agreement between the Jewish state and Hamas.

Starvation, isolation and forced labor

Regarding the conditions of all the hostages, Channel 12 further indicated that some were locked in cages, while others were forced to perform hard labor and were only taken out once a day to eat with other hostages. Many lost more than 14 kilos.

Also, they were not allowed to shower, but were given damp cloths with cold water to maintain some hygiene.

In addition, some hostages needed sedatives in order to withstand the harsh conditions of captivity.

A report by Israeli media outlet Kan noted that the terrorists increased the food rations of the hostages who were to be released to make them appear healthier on camera.

The hostages were also forced to record farewell messages to their families, although they did not know whether they were to be executed or released.

Before being released, the terrorists forced them to sign documents thanking their captors for regaining their freedom.