Arbel Yehoud, who was freed today after being held by Hamas, spent 482 days in solitary confinement under brutal conditions. During her captivity, she endured extreme malnutrition and was kept in a mostly underground location, with minimal food. She described her captivity as being mostly isolated, and the first thing she told those who met her was, “I was mostly alone.” Arbel had been aware of the cruelty of Gaza’s terrorist groups even before her abduction, and she noted that the events of today—where hostages had to walk through a group of armed militants—only scratched the surface of their evil. Despite being kept in isolation with little exposure to the outside world, she did learn about the tragic murder of her brother Dolev in the Hamas assault on her community.
Gadi Mozes, an 80-year-old man who was also freed today, explained that his determination to survive stemmed from his desire to rebuild his kibbutz and community. He revealed that throughout his time in captivity, he never broke down or cried, instead holding onto the belief that he would eventually be released, waiting for the moment when that would come.
Another individual, Agam Berger, was released today as well. She had been kept in solitary confinement for an entire week following the release of her fellow hostages on Saturday. During this period, she had very limited contact with the outside world but did catch glimpses of media reports about the freedom of her friends.
{Matzav.com}
