Four female Israeli captives released from Gaza on Saturday described their lives being under constant threat and their overwhelming “fear and terror” due to the intense bombardment carried out by the Israeli army near their detention sites.
Family members of the released captives told Israel’s Channel 12 that the captives informed them, after reuniting, that they had been held in locations extremely close to Israeli strikes, which targeted all areas of Gaza for over 15 months.
The captives expressed their “severe terror” during the bombings carried out by the Israeli army. They also mentioned that they were frequently moved between houses and tunnels in Gaza during their detention to ensure their safety amidst the continuous bombardment.
Earlier on Saturday, Israeli army doctors who examined the released captives confirmed that their health was “excellent” and stated that the captives were not administered any stimulants or narcotics while in Gaza.
This aligns with previous warnings from Hamas, which emphasized that Israeli airstrikes on Gaza led to the deaths of dozens of captives held in their custody and nearly caused the deaths of others.
These revelations contradict earlier official Israeli claims that Hamas administered stimulants, such as vitamins and sedatives, to Israeli captives to make them appear cheerful before their release.
Previously on Saturday, Palestinian resistance in Gaza handed over four female Israeli captives as part of the second phase of a prisoner exchange deal with the Israeli occupation.
In the presence of members of the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades and al-Quds Brigades, the captives were handed over to Red Cross teams in Al-Saha Square in central Gaza City. A large crowd of Palestinians, along with resistance fighters, gathered at the handover site.
The four captives appeared in full Israeli military uniforms during the handover. They stood on a platform set up at the location before being officially transferred to the Red Cross.
On Friday, Abu Ubaida, the spokesperson for the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, announced the names of the four captives in a statement. He said:
“As part of the Al-Aqsa Flood prisoner exchange deal, the following captives have been released: Karina Ariev, Danielle Gelboa, Naama Levi, and Liri Elbaz.”
Ahead of the handover process, Gaza City witnessed a widespread deployment of resistance forces, particularly members of the Qassam Brigades, who secured large areas within the city.
