After nearly two years of unimaginable suffering, the stories of Israeli hostages held by Hamas are beginning to come to light.
Among the most harrowing is the ordeal of Avinatan Or, a 6ft 5in man captured from the Supernova music festival in October 2023, who spent 738 days in captivity under brutal conditions.
A Nightmare at the Supernova Festival
On October 7, 2023, Avinatan was abducted by Hamas militants while at the festival.
In the chaos, his girlfriend Noa Argamani, 28, was also taken, and shocking footage showed her being whisked away on a motorbike, crushed between two armed terrorists.
Despite Avinatan’s desperate desire to help, he was powerless, already in the hands of militants.
Noa was eventually rescued in June 2025, but Avinatan remained trapped underground in Gaza.
Life in Captivity
Avinatan endured systematic abuse, extreme hunger, and total isolation.
For more than a year, he was chained in a cage just 6ft high, barely longer than the thin mattress he slept on.
Earlier, he had been confined in a tiny barred cell that restricted his movement entirely.
Medical checks after his release revealed that he lost 30 to 40 percent of his bodyweight and spent the majority of his captivity without any human contact.
His father, Yaron Or, described the experience as a miracle that his son survived both physically and mentally, relying only on a Rubik’s Cube for distraction and enduring psychological torment from his captors, who repeatedly lied to him about Noa’s release.
A Soldier Kept Secret
Avinatan’s background in the IDF’s elite Sayeret Matkal commando unit was kept hidden throughout his captivity to avoid additional punishment.
Even after a failed escape attempt through a tunnel, which led to worsened conditions and beatings, Avinatan maintained remarkable resilience.
His father praised his son’s mental strength, saying that despite the physical toll, Avinatan kept his humor and determination intact.
Upon release, his first request was a quiet moment with Noa, culminating in their first cigarette together in two years — a poignant symbol of survival and love.
Other Hostages’ Horrific Experiences
The accounts of the other released hostages reveal a pattern of psychological and physical torture.
Many were suffocated with bags over their heads, force-fed to conceal malnourishment, and kept chained or confined in cramped spaces.
Elkana Bohbot, 36, spent most of his captivity chained in a dark tunnel, while Matan Angrest, 22, suffered severe beatings and even had surgery without anesthesia.
These testimonies highlight the systematic cruelty used by Hamas to dehumanize hostages, with families fearing for the lives of those who have yet to be recovered.
A Fragile Peace
The release of Avinatan and 19 other living hostages came as part of a Trump-brokered deal aiming to end the devastating two-year war in Gaza.
Sadly, four deceased hostages were returned separately, with more still missing, raising fears that the peace deal could be jeopardized.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum emphasized that every new account reveals another layer of deliberate cruelty, underscoring the ongoing humanitarian crisis and the urgent need to recover all remaining hostages’ bodies for closure.
Recovery and Reunion
Despite everything he endured, Avinatan expressed joy and hope in a video message to friends, joking about being disconnected from the world for two years and expressing eagerness to reconnect.
The reunion with Noa serves as a rare bright spot amid the widespread devastation of the Israel-Hamas conflict, which began with the October 7, 2023 attack, killing over 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages.
As Israel continues its efforts to bring closure to families, the courage and resilience of these survivors stand as a testament to human endurance in the face of unimaginable adversity.