4 returned hostages were held in apartments and tunnels, and forced to cook for the terrorists

Daniela, Liri, Naama and Karina were held together for much of the time and were often forced to look after their captors' children and cook for the terrorists while receiving very little food for themselves; They are said to have met 'very serious Hamas figures' during their captivity and heard their parents interviewed on the radio and saw their pictures on signs in Israel

Yael Ciechanover|
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Daniela Gilboa, Liri Albag, Naama Levy and Karina Ariev, who returned to Israel on Saturday after 477 days in Hamas captivity , were held throughout the period in civilian apartments and tunnels, in poor sanitary conditions, and often did not shower for long periods. They were forced to cook and clean for their captors, sometimes even while receiving little food for themselves.
In addition, the four returned hostages were exposed to the media at times, when they were able to listen to the radio and heard their families on it. Therefore, when they met with their parents and sibings for the first time after their release, the young soldiers told them what heroes they were.
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Daniela, Liri, Naama and Karina meet their families for the first time
(Video: GPO)
"You were truly my strength. I heard you so much, and you are truly the only ones who gave me hope," Liri told her parents, after telling her family that she had heard them while she was in captivity. In addition, they also knew about the hostage release deal that took place in November 2023, and one of them heard her family members wishing her well on the radio on her birthday.
At times, the four were held together, and at times they were forced to babysit the children of some of their captors. During their captivity, as could be seen in the psychological terror video released by Hamas after their release, they learned to speak Arabic.
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(Photos: Haim Zach, GPO)
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The freed hostages said partiung from Agam Berger was very difficult
(Photo: Courtesy of the family)
The Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation reported that all four female observers who returned Saturday were held together in captivity with Agam Berger, who is due to be released in the third round next Saturday, and that in recent days they were separated from her - a separation that was very difficult for them. It also noted that during the first days of captivity, an adult was with them who took care of their food and showering, and mediated between them and the terrorists. They were moved from place to place within Gaza City disguised as Palestinian women, and were held both in tunnels and in buildings.
The public broadcaster reported that that the main media outlet to which they were exposed while in captivity was Al-Jazeera, and Hamas terrorists told them about the IDF's fighting in the Gaza Strip. Thus, they knew about the incident in which 21 fighters were killed in a building explosion, and said that they felt that December 2023 was the month with the most significant fighting.
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Arriving at the hospital
(Videos: GPO; IDF spokesmans unit)

The public broadcaster's report also noted that Liri Abag was the one who took care of the group, spoke to the terrorists, and was the "leader." Regarding Hamas' attempt to humiliate them by releasing them by putting them on stage, an attempt that failed, they said: "We showed them on stage, it didn't move us. We are stronger than that." In the helicopter, they joked with the families, asking them to speak Arabic and saying that otherwise they wouldn't understand.
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According to a report on the Keshet network, some of the kidnapped women met "very senior Hamas officials" during their captivity. It was also reported that they told their families that "there were times when there was no food, and when the IDF attacked nearby places, it was scary. We supported each other and held each other."
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On the helicopter on t he way to the hospital
(Video: IDF spokesmans unit)

In addition, according to the report, they told the families that the fight for them gave them hope, and also that "we saw our pictures on the signs in Israel, we even laughed about the choice of pictures." Liri said that she saw the hat her family took out, with the inscription "Hope" like her tattoo. The same report also noted that Naama Levy was in captivity with Doron Steinbrecher, who was released last week, and they did sports exercises together to keep themselves fit.
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