Keith Siegel, Yarden Bibas, and Ofer Kalderon returned to Israel on Saturday after 484 days of captivity in the Gaza Strip, describing particularly grueling detention conditions that were marked by constant movements and a severe lack of food.
Held in Gaza City, Siegel was transferred between several apartments and tunnels, systematically locked in rooms to avoid being discovered. According to Kan, Israel’s national broadcaster, he thought his son Shai had been killed until he heard his voice on the radio. Despite being a vegetarian, he was forced to eat meat due to lack of food.
Bibas and Kalderon testified to having suffered particularly intense physical and psychological violence during their first days of captivity in Khan Yunis. “They hit us and locked us in cages,” they recounted, confirming accounts of other hostages previously released. The two men were held in tunnels alongside other captives.
“Yarden learned Arabic during his captivity,” reported the Israeli public broadcaster. As for Kalderon, the terrorist kidnappers considered him a reservist, which is why he was wearing a uniform at his release. Upon arriving at the meeting point with the IDF, he asked for a beer, but the soldiers had to refuse due to his weak condition.
The three men reported having access to the media, mainly Al Jazeera, and watching demonstrations for their release alongside their captors. “These rallies gave us strength and hope to reunite with our families,” they declared.
At the Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv, Professor Gil Fair stated that Siegel was “in a stable condition that allows him to spend time with his family, rest, and process the experiences of the past few days and the entire period. We will continue to monitor the effects of captivity and provide all necessary services.”
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