Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
The brother of an Israeli hostage held in Gaza since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack described his sibling's continued captivity as "hell on earth," revealing new details of abuse, malnutrition, and psychological torment allegedly suffered at the hands of his captors.
Gal Gilboa-Dalal said his younger brother, Guy Gilboa-Dalal, has now been held for 557 days since the two were separated while fleeing the Nova music festival, where Hamas terrorists launched a deadly assault as part of their broader cross-border attack. Gal managed to hide for hours and escaped. Guy was captured along with his friend Evyatar David. Several of their friends were killed during the attack.
In an interview with Ynetnews, Gal shared testimony from recently released hostages who had been held alongside Guy, painting a grim picture of the 22-year-old’s condition.
“Guy is going through hell. They torture him every day, and I have no way to help him,” he said.
According to Gal, Guy suffers from an untreated ear infection that has left him unable to hear in one ear. There is no access to medical care or medication, he said. “He’s in constant pain. If it continues this way, he could lose his hearing entirely,” he added.
Gal said that hostages receive barely enough water, often unclean and metallic-tasting, and are kept constantly hungry. The food, primarily rice, is spoiled and inedible, forcing Guy to ration it grain by grain.
He also described a deteriorating psychological state among the hostages, with some reportedly experiencing panic attacks or entering prolonged periods of silence due to weakness and emotional distress. “Sometimes they cry uncontrollably, sometimes they don’t speak at all to conserve energy,” he said.
Gal claimed the guards are mentally unstable and abusive, describing one who "hears voices and talks to imaginary figures." In one reported incident, captors extinguished lights and burned paper to fill tunnels with smoke, creating breathing difficulties. They made ghostly sounds to instill fear and, on at least one occasion, forced hostages to crawl on all fours and bark like dogs before physically assaulting them.
“One of the guards told them there was a deal and that they’d get food the next day. The next day he said he lied—there was no deal and no food,” Gal said.
The family believes conditions worsen when negotiations for a hostage release stall. “When there’s a deal, they’re treated slightly better. When talks break down, the abuse gets worse,” Gal said. “Now that fighting in Gaza has resumed, I can’t imagine what they’re going through.”
Gal said he is not encouraged by unconfirmed reports of a new hostage deal. “I don’t care who said what to whom—it doesn’t matter. What matters is that no one should be left behind. I don’t think anyone can bear knowing their loved one didn’t make the list,” he said.
Get the Ynetnews app on your smartphone: Google Play: https://bit.ly/4eJ37pE | Apple App Store: https://bit.ly/3ZL7iNv
In an effort to keep Guy’s spirit alive, the family recently produced a short video about him. “Most of what we do is part of the fight to bring him home, but this was for Guy—spiritually,” Gal said. The video shows Guy spending time with his family, preparing for parties, and expressing his love for Japanese culture. “We wanted people to connect with who he is—his imagination, his kindness, his dream to visit Japan, a dream that was cruelly cut short,” Gal said. “I hope those beautiful parts of him are helping him survive these horrific days.”