‘No food, terrifying’: Four freed female soldiers speak about captivity in Gaza

The four women, who were kidnapped from Nahal Oz on October 7, 2023 while working as military observers, were held together with a fifth female soldier, Agam Berger.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Four female soldiers released on Saturday night—Liri Albag, Daniella Gilboa, Naama Levy, and Karina Ariev—shared details about the 477 days they spent as hostages in Gaza.

The four women, who were kidnapped from Nahal Oz on October 7, 2023 while working as military observers, were held together with a fifth female soldier, Agam Berger, who is slated for release next week.

They told Kan News it was difficult to leave Agam Berger behind when they received news of their release.

The women explained that early in their captivity, they were cared for by an elderly hostage who ensured they could shower and had food.

The hostages said that they were forced to cook and clean for Gazan families and to look after their children.

They revealed that the elderly hostage was later killed in Gaza.

The released hostages said they were moved frequently and kept in civilian homes and Gaza tunnels, often in unsanitary conditions.

Their Hamas captors also moved them around Gaza City and disguised them as Arab women.

The freed hostages said they appeared on Arab media and on Al Jazeera and that they they learned about the hostage releases in November.

One of them mentioned hearing her family send birthday greetings on the radio.

They said their Hamas captors told them about events of the war in Gaza, including the collapse of a building in December that killed 21 soldiers.

The hostages reported that their captors often treated them with contempt, mockingly referring to them as “the soldiers.”

They described Liri Albag as “the group leader” during their captivity.

The freed hostages told their parents, “There were times when we had no food, and when the IDF launched attacks on nearby areas, it was terrifying. But we supported one another and helped each other survive.”

Prior to their release, Hamas cynically staged a “release ceremony” for them, parading them onstage in front of a crowd in Gaza City.

They were given identification tags around their necks, which included details of their captivity, such as the kidnapping and release dates, their full names, and ID card numbers.

The four hostages said that during the ceremony, they “showed them on the stage that it did not bother us. We are stronger than that.”

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