Traces of torture

Hamas hostages tell of mistreatment

The Israeli hostages Sasha Trupanov (second from right) Sagui Dekel-Chen (second from left) shortly before their release.

(Bild: AFP/Eyad Baba)

 

Shortly after the release of three more Israeli hostages from the hands of Islamist terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip on Saturday - as reported by krone.at - the first accounts of the abductees have now come to light. They also report torture.

 

The more than 16 months in the hands of the Islamists were a "very harsh captivity, including physical abuse", wrote the newspaper "Times of Israel", citing reports from several Israeli TV stations.

Scars on the body prove mistreatment
The hostage Sagui Dekel-Chen was tortured during interrogations by Hamas. According to the television station Channel 12, his body shows corresponding scars. The 36-year-old had not known for months whether his family had survived the massacre on October 7, 2023. It was only shortly before his release that his kidnappers told him that his wife had given birth to a daughter, Kan reported.

A video distributed by the Israeli army after his release showed Dekel-Chen in the arms of his weeping wife, who also told him the name of their daughter: Shachar Mazal. The 29-year-old Alexander (Sasha) Trufanov, on the other hand, did not know that his father had been killed in the massacre on October 7 until he was released, it was said. He had burst into tears when he was told by representatives of the Israeli army.

Hostage lost dozens of kilograms
As the "Times of Israel" further reported, Iair Horn (46), who was also released, lost dozens of kilograms in weight during his captivity and had hardly received any medical care.

All three hostages were held most of the time in tunnels in Khan Yunis in the south of the Gaza Strip, just a few hundred meters from their homes in Kibbutz Nir Oz. They had often suffered from hunger, but had also learned Arabic during their captivity. The three men were released on Saturday in exchange for 369 imprisoned Palestinians in accordance with the ceasefire agreement.

The more than 16 months in the hands of the Islamists had been a "very harsh imprisonment, including physical abuse", wrote the newspaper "Times of Israel", citing reports from several Israeli TV stations.

Scars on the body prove mistreatment
The hostage Sagui Dekel-Chen was tortured during interrogations by Hamas. According to the television station Channel 12, his body shows corresponding scars. The 36-year-old had not known for months whether his family had survived the massacre on October 7, 2023. It was only shortly before his release that his kidnappers told him that his wife had given birth to a daughter, the Kan channel reported.

A video distributed by the Israeli army after his release showed Dekel-Chen in the arms of his weeping wife, who also told him the name of their daughter: Shachar Mazal. The 29-year-old Alexander (Sasha) Trufanov, on the other hand, did not know that his father had been killed in the massacre on October 7 until he was released, it was said. He had burst into tears when he was told by representatives of the Israeli army.

Hostage lost dozens of kilograms
As the "Times of Israel" further reported, Iair Horn (46), who was also released, lost dozens of kilograms in weight during his captivity and had hardly received any medical care.

All three hostages were held most of the time in tunnels in Khan Yunis in the south of the Gaza Strip, just a few hundred meters from their homes in Kibbutz Nir Oz. They had often suffered from hunger, but had also learned Arabic during their captivity. The three men were released on Saturday in exchange for 369 imprisoned Palestinians in accordance with the ceasefire agreement.