As Hamas and Israel proceed with their ongoing prisoner exchanges, chilling accounts have emerged from recently freed Israeli hostages who endured prolonged captivity in Gaza under severe conditions. The latest swap, scheduled for today, will see three more Israeli hostages released in exchange for 183 Palestinian prisoners.
One of the released hostages, 80-year-old Gadi Mozes, revealed details of his 15-month ordeal in captivity under the Palestinian militant group Hamas. According to a Times of Israel report, Mozes was kept in total darkness for approximately 70 days, confined to a cramped two-square-meter space, where he had no human contact. To cope with isolation, he counted the tiles on the floor and engaged in mental arithmetic. Every day, he walked an estimated seven kilometers within his tiny cell to maintain some form of movement.
Throughout the war, Mozes was relocated multiple times but was never held in Hamas’s extensive underground tunnel network. He remained largely unaware of the outside world, with no information on his family’s fate. He was aware that his longtime partner, Efrat Katz, had been killed in the October 7 attack but knew nothing about his daughter’s whereabouts until his release. His daughter, Moran Mozes, who survived the attack, was among the first to reunite with him in Israel.
During his captivity, Mozes struggled with vision impairment after his glasses were broken during his abduction. For two months, he could barely see until he was eventually provided with a replacement pair. At one point, he was allowed to read two books. His prolonged confinement took a heavy toll on his health, resulting in a weight loss of approximately 15 kilograms.
The recent release of hostages was accompanied by chaotic scenes. In northern Gaza, 20-year-old Israeli soldier Agam Berger was seen being escorted by Hamas militants through the Jabalia region before being handed over to the Red Cross. Footage showed her emerging from a damaged building and walking to safety. Elsewhere in Khan Younis, Mozes, 29-year-old Arbel Yehoud, and five Thai nationals were also handed over to Israeli authorities.
Following the latest exchange, Israel temporarily halted the planned release of 110 Palestinian prisoners, citing security concerns and demanding stronger guarantees for future handovers. As negotiations continue, both sides are set to proceed with the next round of swaps, with the humanitarian and political implications of the ongoing war growing increasingly complex.
