The emaciated appearance of the three hostages released on Saturday was a testament to the severe abuses they suffered at the hands of their Hamas captors.

Or Levy, Ohad Ben Ami, and Eli Sharabi reported being isolated in tunnels, hung upside down, burned, starved, gagged, deprived of daylight, and subjected to psychological torture.

They also witnessed similar treatment of other hostages who were slated for release.

“They treated us like animals,” one of the three released hostages said.

The former hostages reported being interrogated and burned, leading one of them to collapse.

The three men were forced to endure days without food while their captors taunted them and ate in front of them, finally providing only one stale pita to share among several hostages.

Hamas captors often put a cloth around their mouths and gagged them, making it seem as though they were going to suffocate them.

Sigi Cohen, mother of hostage Eliya Cohen, said that released hostages informed her that her son had been chained and confined to a tunnel, had not seen sunlight during his entire captivity, and was given very little food.

They also reported that Cohen had been tortured by being hung by his feet upside down and burned with a metal object.

In addition to the torments he endured in captivity, Cohen has an untreated bullet wound that he sustained on October 7th.

Hostage Alon Ohel, whose family received information that he was alive, reported that he had also been chained, starved, and was suffering from medical neglect after sustaining a shrapnel wound and a severe eye injury.

Ohel’s family has released a statement advocating for his liberation.

They wrote, “Tomorrow, Alon will spend his 24th birthday in Hamas captivity. We urge the prime minister, the cabinet, and the Israeli government—time is running out. The second phase of the deal must proceed to bring all the hostages home. It is your moral obligation to do everything possible to save Alon and the others.”

Image - Photo by Abed Rahim Khatib/Flash90