Hostages once held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip detailed brutal acts of torture and violence perpetrated against them in captivity in a new report prepared for the U.N. by the Israeli government.
The report, dated Dec. 23, draws on testimony of hostages taken by Hamas during the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks who were subsequently released or set free. Among other abuses, the prisoners testified that the Hamas terrorists subjected them to sexual assaults, brutal psychological torture, branding with hot objects, deliberate starvation and more.
“The captivity was designed to torture the hostages psychologically, break their morale, and make them easier to control,” the report reads. “Their time in captivity was marked by intense trauma: family separation, immobilization, arbitrary and frequent transfers, and exposure to further violence. Some captives witnessed the killing of other…
