An Israeli man who was held hostage by Hamas for eight months shared harrowing details of his captivity, including the brutal beatings of other captives that he witnessed in Gaza. Shlomi Ziv, 41, was kidnapped from the Nova Music Festival in Israel’s Negev Desert on October 7 Hamas attack on Israel.
Ziv was among four hostages rescued in June during a military operation named after Chief Inspector Arnon Zamora, who was killed during the rescue. Taking to social media platform X, he recounted the chilling atmosphere of his confinement, saying, “There were quiet nights in captivity when you could hear every little sound, and then suddenly, you’d hear someone getting beaten.”
‘They don’t want any peace’
He described the experience as “chilling” and stressed the psychological torment inflicted by his captors. Ziv noted that Hamas members often expressed a desire for violence rather than peace, saying, “They don’t want any peace with us or to live next to us.” The assault resulted in the abduction of 251 hostages and triggered an ongoing conflict in Gaza. As of now, 64 hostages remain in captivity, with reports indicating that 57 are Israelis.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) reported that while 117 hostages have been freed—mostly women and children—many others are still unaccounted for. Among those still held are six Thai nationals and one Nepalese. The IDF has confirmed that 70 hostages are dead, with 33 bodies remaining in Gaza, according to Israeli media.
Ziv’s reflections come as the Gaza war nears its first anniversary. Ziv and other freed hostages have highlighted the dehumanising language used by his captors, who referred to hostages as “cockroaches” and threatened that future attacks would not include taking hostages but would instead aim to kill. Ziv and his fellow captives were held in a dark room with little contact with the outside world. The rescue operation involved detailed planning and coordination between various Israeli security forces.
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