477 days of captivity: Former hostages reveal Gaza ordeal
Between forced labor and meeting senior Hamas officials, the four freed female soldiers detailed their imprisonment and revealed that an elderly man protected them
Daniella Gilboa, Liri Albag, Naama Levy, and Karina Ariev were held in precarious sanitary conditions, alternating between civilian apartments and Hamas tunnels, according to Israeli media.
After their release on Saturday, they told their families and friends they were forced to cook, clean, and look after their captors' children, and explained that they had to carry out these tasks even during periods when they were forced to ration food. In the early days of their captivity, an elderly man watched over them, facilitating their access to food and showers, and serving as a go-between with the captors. He ensured that they could eat and wash. The young women later learned of his death.
Regularly moved and disguised as Palestinians to avoid being spotted, they were forced to learn Arabic. According to the Keshet channel, they even met "very high-ranking Hamas officials." The terrorists treated them with contempt, simply referring to them as "the female soldiers."
Exposed to the media mainly through Al Jazeera, they followed the news and could hear their relatives on the radio. "You were my strength, the only ones to give me hope," Liri confided to her parents. They even spotted their photos on placards in Israel: "We even laughed at the choice of photos." One of them heard her family wish her a happy birthday on the radio.
The captives were informed of Israeli military operations, notably the collapse of a building that killed 21 soldiers in December, which they described as the "most significant" month of combat. Liri Albag emerged as the leader of the group, managing interactions with the guards.
The recent separation from Agam Berger, who remains captive and should be released next Saturday, has been particularly difficult. According to a report in the Israeli broadcaster Kan, all five were held together until the past few days.
Upon their release, they defied their captors: "We showed them that it didn't affect us. We are stronger than that." On the return helicopter, they even joked by asking to be spoken to in Arabic, claiming to have forgotten Hebrew. According to testimonies, Naama Levy shared her captivity with Doron Steinbrecher, who was released the previous week. Together, they performed physical exercises to maintain their condition.