‘Sometimes we had to cook for terrorists’: Released hostages open up about life in captivity

The four female hostages released Saturday have told Israeli media about life being held by Hamas, revealing that on occasions they had to cook for their captors and were held in the homes of Gaza civilians.

They also said they wanted to show that they were “not fazed” by the attempt at staged humiliation by Hamas terrorists during the handover in Gaza City.

The four women — abducted IDF surveillance soldiers Karina Ariev, 20, Daniella Gilboa, 20, Naama Levy, 20, and Liri Albag, 19 — were seen in footage acting calmly and confidently, and smiling and waving to the crowds of gunmen and Gazans.

“We showed them on the stage that we were not fazed,” Kan TV news quoted one of them as telling family and friends. “It had no impact on us. We are stronger than them.”

The four had been given military-style uniforms, and on leaving saloon cars were forced to cross the square and stand on the stage next to armed, masked Hamas operatives.

According to a report on Channel 12 news, Israeli intelligence chiefs watching the Hamas propaganda show concluded that the soldiers’ confident behaviour “turned humiliation into victory.”

Israeli outlet Kan reported the released captives saying that Liri Albag was the leader of their group, and spoke to the terrorists on their behalf.

Naama Levy, a triathlete, was held for some time with Doron Streinbrecher, who was released last Sunday, and they exercised together, “for body and soul.”

Some of them learnt Arabic and Kan reported that when they were in an IDF helicopter after their release and were told to sit down, they joked that they did not understand and that the soldiers should speak to them in Arabic.

One of the four was held in a dark tunnel alone for a long time where it was hard to breathe.

I dare you not to cry 💛 pic.twitter.com/4I49XVw8Zn

— Eylon Levy (@EylonALevy) January 25, 2025

They were moved around Gaza during their 477 days in captivity, including in Gaza City, Kan reported. Some of them reportedly met “very senior Hamas people”.

There were periods when there was no food, Channel 12 reported. And there were times when some of them had to cook for terrorists, and clean toilets for them, but were denied food themselves.

When the IDF operated nearby, it was scary, they said. But they helped and supported each other.

They listened to the radio quite often and were aware of the deep concern and fears of their families, they reportedly said. One of them heard her family wishing her happy birthday.

They also saw some TV, including coverage of protests on their behalf, and have said this gave them strength. They even joked among themselves about the pictures their families had chosen of them to use on posters urging their release, according to TV reports.

Some of them were held in the homes of Gaza civilians and played with the children of their captors, Channel 12 said.

Some of them said their captors treated them “shockingly” and that they did not get proper medical treatment, including for injuries sustained when they were being abducted. More than one of them went for long periods without being able to shower and without sanitary conditions. And some of them were not allowed to hold hands or cry together.

Their captors referred to them as “the soldiers”, the released hostages said, according to Kan.