For nearly 500 days, three Israeli men endured an unthinkable nightmare under Hamas captivity.
When they were finally freed, they were so weak they could barely stand—a haunting testament to the torture, starvation, and suffering they had endured.
But for two of them, their release came with an even greater heartbreak: discovering that the loved ones they had longed to reunite with were gone forever.
Tortured, Starved, and Struggling to Survive
Or Levy, 34, Eli Sharabi, 54, and Ohad Ben Ami, 56, were held in airless tunnels, cramped and unable to stand upright.
Their captors subjected them to relentless abuse—hanging them upside down, strangling them with ropes, gagging them, and burning them with heated objects.
Food was scarce, water even scarcer.
The little they received was barely edible—rotten pita bread, which they had to share.
Dehydration and malnutrition left them dangerously frail.
Interrogations were constant, as Hamas inflicted unbearable pain while demanding information.
At one point, one of the men collapsed, and the others feared he had died.
For over a year, their existence was nothing but agony.
Given Just Enough to Stand Before Their Release
As their release neared, Hamas made a calculated decision.
Knowing they would be seen by the world, they gave the hostages just enough food to regain some strength—enough to stand, at least.
Or Levy, who had spent much of his captivity in chains, had to be re-taught how to walk before being freed.
The Devastating Truth That Awaited Them
For Levy and Sharabi, the nightmare didn’t end when they stepped out of captivity.
Throughout their ordeal, they had clung to the hope that their families were waiting for them.
But the truth was crushing.
Levy had been kidnapped from the Nova music festival on October 7—the same day his wife, Einav, was murdered by terrorists.
He only learned of her death after his release.
Eli Sharabi suffered a similar heartbreak.
Hamas had forced him to record a message saying he was eager to reunite with his wife and children.
But once free, he was met with a devastating reality—his wife, Lianne, and their daughters, Noiya, 16, and Yahel, 13, had been killed.
A Brother’s Painful Words
Michael Levy, Or’s brother, described the unimaginable toll captivity had taken.
Speaking from Sheba Medical Center, where the freed hostages were receiving treatment, he said his brother was physically and emotionally shattered.
“He is not the same Or who left home on October 7,” Michael shared.
“He returned broken, emaciated, and haunted by the fear that every day could be his last.”
But amid the sorrow, there was one small moment of light.
Or’s biggest concern upon release was his young son, Almog, who had been just a baby when his father was kidnapped. Their reunion was nothing short of extraordinary.
“Almog recognized him instantly,” Michael recalled. “They haven’t separated since.”
The Dark Reality of Hamas Captivity
The suffering these men endured was not random—it was a deliberate strategy.
According to Michael, Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar had personally ordered the intentional starvation of adult male hostages.
The Israeli government had learned of this months before their release and had warned families about the grim reality.
Despite international calls for their freedom, 76 hostages remain trapped in Gaza.
Their families wait in agony, holding onto hope while fearing the worst.
A Bittersweet Homecoming
Though these men are finally home, their pain is far from over.
The trauma of captivity, compounded by the loss of their families, has left scars that may never heal.
For Or Levy, the one thing that kept him going was the dream of holding his son again.
That moment finally arrived—but at an unimaginable cost.
As Michael Levy put it, “Every night in captivity, Or dreamed of the moment he would put Almog to bed.
Now, after nearly 500 days of horror, that moment has finally come.”
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