Gaza Hostages Used as Human Shields for Senior Hamas Official

Wednesday, 5 February 2025 | For an extended period during their captivity, observers Daniella Gilboa, Karina Ariev, Naama Levy, Agam Berger and Liri Albag were held in an apartment in Gaza where a senior Hamas military commander was also hiding. According to reports from Kan News, the commander used the hostages as human shields and was a "dominant figure" in the hideout.

The Hamas leader not only issued orders to terrorists but also attempted to manipualate the young women, coaxing them into revealing information about IDF activity near the Gaza border in the days leading up to the October 7 terror attack. Some of the hostages only realized after their abduction that he was a high-ranking Hamas operative.

This was not an isolated tactic. Several Hamas leaders deliberately stayed close to hostages to protect themselves. The treatment of the lookouts was largely similar to that of other captives, apart from the targeted efforts to extract intelligence from them.

Throughout their captivity, Hamas terrorists frequently filmed the hostages, forcing them to deliver scripted messages. Some of these videos were later released in Israel. Many of those who returned had no idea what footage had been disseminated. Several freed hostages said they had little access to television or radio and remained unaware of their families' fates until their release. Others spent most of their time underground in Hamas tunnels and were unclear about how much time had passed.

Testimonies from the observers revealed that Naama Levy was held alone for a long period before being reunited with her fellow captives. When she finally saw them again, she asked if what was happening was real and whether they were alive. The five women spent time both above and below ground, and in some cases, were held by families, forced to cook, clean, and care for children.

The four hostages who were released first tried to pass the time by exercising despite the harsh conditions and lack of food. Their captors forbade them from holding hands or crying, but they found ways to support each other. Daniella Gilboa and Karina Ariev, who had known each other from their base before the abduction, were held together for most of their time in captivity, strengthening their bond.

One of the previously released hostages recounted that her Hamas captors dismissed reports of the assassination of Hamas’s military chief, Mohammed Deif— news that Hamas officially confirmed only recently, nearly six months later. The guards even laughed at the reports, while the hostages insisted that Al Jazeera was broadcasting "false propaganda."

Based on her conversations with her captors, one of the freed hostages speculated that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was not viewed as a revered leader among them. She noted that there was a more pronounced sense of mourning when senior Hamas official Ismail Haniyeh was killed in Tehran.

Many of the captives had limited knowledge of calendar dates, as they were only occasionally allowed to watch television. "We didn't know when Passover was, but we knew when Yom Kippur [Day of Atonment] was, and we fasted," one released hostage said.

Following Agam Berger’s return, new details emerged about her captivity alongside the other lookouts. She spent a significant period with Liri Albag, and the group refrained from eating leavened bread during Passover. Agam also observed Shabbat while in captivity and spoke about the faith that sustained her throughout the ordeal. Upon arriving at Rabin Medical Center, she wrote a message on a whiteboard that read: "I chose the path of faith, and in the path of faith, I have returned."