Hostages of Zion

Many news outlets have tried to paint the picture of the hostages’ experiences in Gaza, but nothing captures the reality like their own voices. Their testimonies—filled with stomach-churning details—shatter any illusions about Hamas’s so-called generosity or peaceful intentions.  

The quotations to follow provide you with a glimpse of their stories, their sorrow and their strength. They also highlight their grief over their brothers and sisters still being held by Hamas in Gaza. 

As you read these words, please pray fervently for the healing of these former hostages’ hearts and for those who remain in Gaza.

“He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives…To comfort all who mourn, to console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.”  Isaiah 61:1b, 2b–3a

“We were taken into a tunnel, feeling in danger, feeling life-threatened [by] terrorists around us with weapons. I witnessed a young woman being tortured by the terrorists. I saw [the] sexual assault [of] female hostages. The terrorists [were] very cruel and very violent. They were beating me and starving me; they would often eat in front of me and not offer me food.”

—Keith Siegel, 65, was kidnapped alongside his wife, Aviva. Keith was released after 484 days.

“When we got to Gaza, we saw lots of families standing out of their houses and clapping, shouting and shooting in the air. Keith and I just wanted to cry and scream…We were moved 13 times…What helped me to survive in Gaza is that I used to say to myself: ‘You are going to go through worse.’ And that’s what happened.”

—Aviva Siegel, 63, was kidnapped alongside her husband, Keith and released after 52 days.

“The smell [was] like garbage in the tunnels. There was a lot of moisture and mold and a lot of lice and bed bugs. All day, you’re scratching your hands and your head. It was hard to sleep because of the stench…They [the terrorists] liked to scare us, to say many things about Israel, that they [Hamas] took all the land and that nobody wants us. But when they saw we are a very strong group, and they came to say the same things but it doesn’t work anymore, they just sit on the side. And I realize, how much you can be strong when you are united.”

—Sapir Cohen, 29, was abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz and held hostage for 55 days.

“We entered a tunnel. On the side was a very small room with a doctor. When she saw me, she said, ‘I’m not treating that Jew.’ The food, it was like in the Holocaust. They gave me a small piece of pita. It was so dry I had to dunk it in the tea to swallow.”

—Ophelia Roitman, 77, abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz and released after 52 days.

“I knew the [Hamas] video had been published, and in the video, you can see my tattooed hands and fingers. The window [where I was held], the bathroom had shutters, so whenever I went there, I’d stick my hand out, hoping they [the IDF] would see me and recognize me…I still haven’t come to terms with returning home. I can’t because there are others out there, and I know what they are going through. I think about it. Every day.”

—Mia Schem, 21, a dual Israeli–French citizen, was abducted from the Supernova music festival and released after 55 days.

“They were all murdered in cold blood [with] bare hands. [Hamas] used to tell me, ‘Oh, [it] doesn’t matter. You’ll get a new wife. Get new kids. Better wife. Better kids.’”

—Yarden Bibas, 34, whose wife Shiri and their redheaded boys, Kfir (10 months) and Ariel (4), were murdered in captivity.  

“February 8, 2025, I was released. I weighed 44 kilograms [97 lb.]—less than the body weight of my youngest daughter, Yahel. I was a shell of my former self. I still am. Where was the United Nations? Where was the Red Cross? Where was the world?”

—Eli Sharabi, 53, was kidnapped from Kibbutz Be’eri, with his brother, Yossi. Tragically, the Hamas terrorists murdered Eli’s wife and their young daughters. Eli endured 491 days in captivity.

“The kidnapping itself is our soft spot because we, the Jewish nation, sanctify life. We sanctify life as well as our dead.”

—Danielle Aloni was kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz along with her 6-year-old daughter, Emilia, and held for 49 days.

“The truth is that October 7 feels like one long nightmare, and I’ve been waiting for someone to wake me up, for someone to tell me I was dreaming. But it didn’t happen. Unfortunately, this has all been real.”

—Liri Albag, 20, an IDF surveillance soldier, was held hostage for 477 days

“I am here to bear witness firsthand: my friends who remain in captivity are enduring suffering beyond belief. No stretch of the imagination can capture the horror of their daily reality…No one can truly understand it in 90 seconds, not even in 90 hours, and my friends are still in hell after more than 510 days.”

—Doron Steinbrecher, 32, was kidnapped from Kfar Aza and held hostage for 471 days.

“Are we, as a society and the world, doing everything for them [the hostages]? I can testify that it is hell there.”

—Chen Almog Goldstein, 49, witnessed Hamas murdering her daughter, Yam, and husband, Nadav, on October 7, before she and her surviving children were kidnapped to Gaza and held for 51 days.

“I live with the question of why me and not them. I have no answer. But if I am free, it is a sign that God wanted me to raise my voice to help those who are living to gain their freedom and return the dead to a proper burial…My soul is still there. I will do everything to free them; until then, I cannot truly begin to heal.”

—Lana Gritzewsky, 31, was abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz alongside her partner, Matan Zanguaker (still held by Hamas), and released after 55 days.