Freed Israeli hostage says Hamas 'starved' him in captivity
The Hindu
Hamas to release more captives in sixth swap, as freed hostages recount starvation and torture by militants.
A freed Israeli hostage said Friday (February 14, 2025) that Hamas militants starved and tortured him during captivity, as the Red Cross expressed concern over the condition of those still held in Gaza.
Hamas is set to release three more captives on Saturday in the sixth hostage-prisoner swap under a ceasefire deal with Israel.
"When I was in Gaza, I lived in constant fear, fear for my life and my personal safety," Keith Siegel, an Israel-American who was freed on February 1, said in a video statement addressed to U.S. President Donald Trump.
"The terrorists kicked me, spat on me, and held me with no water, no light, and no air to breathe.
"I was starved and tortured, both physically and emotionally," he said.
The mother of another released hostage, Liri Albag, told Israeli newspaper Yediot Aharonot that her daughter sometimes had nothing to eat for days, and "at times, they ate food meant for donkeys".
Shiri Albag, in comments published on Thursday, said there was "minimal hygiene" in Gaza and recalled how her daughter's captives taunted her with videos of the male hostages being beaten and abused.
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