Details of the horrors endured by hostages in captivity:
Avinatan Or was held in central Gaza in extremely harsh conditions. He was systematically starved - losing between 30% and 40% of his body weight, according to an initial medical report.
For two years, he did not see another hostage and knew almost nothing about what had happened in Israel since October 7.
When he reunited with his girlfriend, Noa Argamani, he asked his family for a moment alone with her. It was then, for the first time, that he heard from Noa how she had been rescued.
Gali and Zivi Berman, twin siblings, were held separately. They said that for a long time they were completely cut off from the outside world. Recently, they began to hear the sounds of the IDF operating near where they were being held.
The twins said some of their captors spoke to them in Hebrew. There were long stretches of hunger and deprivation, broken only by short periods when a little more food was available.
Elkana Bohbot was chained underground in tunnels. he is suffering from stomach pain from being force-fed before his release, and from constant pain in his legs and back.
On his wedding anniversary, Elkana asked one of the guards if he could shower. The terrorist told him to sit quietly. Elkana asked again. In the end, the guard relented, removed his chains, and shaved him.
Matan Angrest suffered severe injuries to his hand and fingers while in Hamas captivity. He was treated without anesthesia and the lack of proper care only made his condition worse.
Matan said he was sometimes shown clips from family rallies in Tel Aviv’s Hostage Square.
Evyatar David is weak, thin, and lacking essential nutrients. He was separated from his friend Guy Gilboa-Dalal for the last two months of captivity and endured both physical and psychological abuse.
Even after Hamas released a brutal video showing him thin, pale, and digging his own grave, the terrorists continued to starve him.
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
These are the 6 hostages being released this Saturday 🧵
Eliya Cohen (27) is a resident of Tzur Hadassah and has three younger sisters. Known for his zest for life, love of travel, and fondness for people, he worked in marketing and real estate after a career as an event producer. On October 7th, Eliya attended the Nova nature party with his fiancée Ziv Abud, her nephew Amit, and Amit's girlfriend Karin. During the attack, while fleeing to a shelter, Amit and Karin were murdered. Ziv survived by hiding beneath their bodies, while Eliya was taken captive.
Tal Shoham (40) is a resident of Ma'ale Tzviya who previously lived in Be'eri, where he managed a team at the kibbutz's printing house. Known for his dedication to peace, family, and community, he volunteers with Magen David Adom (MDA), trains dogs, and develops economic forecasting software. On October 7th, he was kidnapped alongside his wife Adi, their children Nave (8) and Yahel (3), his mother-in-law Dr. Shoshan Haran, Adi's aunt Sharon Avigdori, and her daughter Noam (12). Three other family members were murdered. The women and children from the family were released during the November hostage deal after 50 days in captivity.
Omer Shem Tov (22) is a resident of Herzliya with dreams of becoming an actor. Known for his talent in mimicry and humor, he is also passionate about music and has his own DJ equipment. Friends and family describe him as funny, popular, and always working to make others happy. On October 7th, he was kidnapped from the Nova Festival along with siblings Itay and Maya Regev, who have since been released.
The Washington Post reports that a “framework is agreed” for a hostage release and truce deal and the parties are now “negotiating details of how it will be implemented.”
Although the framework is in place, a final agreement isn’t imminent and it will take time to work through all the details.
Key details in this thread 🧵
The agreement is laid out in three stages:
Phase 1 - A six-week cease-fire, during which Hamas would release 33 Israeli hostages, including all female prisoners, all men over 50 and all who are wounded. Israel would release hundreds of Palestinians from its prisons and withdraw its troops from densely populated areas toward the eastern border of Gaza. Humanitarian aid would flow in, hospitals would be repaired, and crews would begin clearing the rubble.
Phase 2 - Hamas would release the male soldiers who remain as hostages and both sides would agree to a “permanent end to hostilities” with “a full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.”
Phase 3 - A multi-year reconstruction plan for Gaza.
Per the article, Hamas has relented on its demand for a written guarantee on a permanent end to the fighting.
Instead, it accepted the reassuring language of a U.N. Security Council resolution, passed last month, affirming the U.S.-negotiated deal.
Hamas's Charter explicitly speaks about killing all Jews.
But here's @briebriejoy to tell us that in fact Hamas don't mean what they write and what they publicly declare.
Briahna: "When Hamas is talking about eliminating Israel, it's not talking about killing all of the Jews."
Let's look to some examples 🧵
Senior Hamas official Fathi Hammad: “There are Jews everywhere. We must attack every Jew on planet earth - we must slaughter and kill them.”
cc: @briebriejoy
Hamas official Hamad Al-Regeb: "Oh Allah, enable us to get to the necks of the Jews… Count them, kill them one by one, and do not leave a single one of them alive."
Relatives of former hostages share sickening stories of their treatment by Hamas.
Brothers, Yagil and Or, ages 12 and 16, were drugged. “Hamas took the leg of each child and stuck it in on a motorcycle tail pipe to make a mark in case they escape, so they could find them.”
Mia Schem, who was shot in the hand by Hamas, was operated on by a veterinarian.
Father of Emily Hand, who turned 9 in captivity, said: “The most shocking, disturbing part of meeting her was she was just whispering, you couldn’t hear her. I had to put my ear on her lips. She’d been conditioned not to make any noise.”
🧵#OTD - Aug 9, 2001 - a Palestinian suicide bomber walked into the Sbarro pizzeria in central #Jerusalem at lunchtime and murdered 15 civilians, including 7 children, and injured 130 others.
The bomb was packed with nails, nuts, and bolts in order to maximize casualties.