Freed Hostage: ‘Hamas Terrorists Ripped Off My Clothes, Took Away My Identity’

February 1, 2024

by: Itamar Eichner ~ Ynetnews

Thursday, 1 February 2024 | A United Nations [UN] delegation, led by Israeli Ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan, met Wednesday with Maya and Itay Regev, who were abducted to the Gaza Strip by Hamas terrorists and freed after nearly two months.

Accompanied by their father, Ilan, Maya and Itay shared their personal story with the ambassadors, starting from the moment of their abduction to their more than 50-day-long captivity and eventual release through negotiations.

Maya vividly described the unimaginable cruelty inflicted upon her by Hamas terrorists, highlighting instances of mistreatment, mockery and abuse directed at her, especially over her injured leg. “Hamas terrorists tore my clothes and stripped away my identity and name,” she said. “The captor assigned to me threatened daily that if the Israel Defense Forces tried to rescue me, he would shoot me immediately, not wanting to die alone.”

Emphasizing their responsibility, Mia told the ambassadors, “It is your duty to bring all the captives home now. Their time is running out.” Erdan said Mia and Itay were “true heroes” and added, “Your resilience and strength move us all. I salute you.”

During the conversation, Erdan conveyed a strong message to the ambassadors: “Calling for a cease-fire essentially means leaving Hamas in power. As Hamas has already stated, they will carry out this massacre again and again once they have the opportunity. Their goal is to perpetrate terror against us and force us to leave the land out of fear. A cease-fire is simply unacceptable, and this week, during your visit to the Gaza and northern borders, the UN plays a significant role. I hope you understand why we cannot continue living with these threats and why we are determined to eradicate them.”

Posted on February 1, 2024

Source: (This article originally was published by Ynetnews on January 31, 2024. Time-related language has been modified to reflect our republication today. See original article at this link.)

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