Across thousands of street corners in Israel, banners bearing familiar faces are everywhere, with the words “Bring them home” beneath them. Despite Hanukkah being a joyous holiday meant to bring light to dark times, it’s impossible to ignore the painful reality: This is the second Hanukkah since the Hamas mega-atrocity on October 7, 2023, with 100 hostages still held in the dark tunnels of Gaza.
To put this in perspective, over 450 days have passed since the Israel-Hamas War began, meaning the hostages held by Hamas have now entered their second year in captivity.
As if this heartbreak weren’t enough, the Israeli public has recently been confronted with even more devastating news, deepening the anguish of this already unbearable situation.
The Health Ministry submitted a report to the United Nations last week detailing the horrors and atrocities committed by Hamas on October 7 and describing the neglect, abuse, torture, humiliation, and sexual abuse endured by the hostages in Hamas’s captivity. A gentle warning to our readers: The details of the report are difficult to read.
Testimonies from teenagers in the report state they were forced to perform sexual acts on each other and that their captors performed sexual acts on them, including complete undressing, touching private parts, and whipping the genitals.
On several occasions, captors forced women of all ages to undress while others, including the captors, watched. Some women reported that they were tied to beds while their captors stared at them.
On October 7, terrorists unleashed widespread devastation. Hostages witnessed their homes burning and acts of rape and looting in their communities. After enduring the relentless cruelty of Hamas and seeing many die in the kibbutzim, the hostages were transported to Gaza in open vehicles, often alongside the bodies of those murdered. Throughout the journey, they suffered beatings, humiliation, and verbal, physical, and sexual violence.
Two children held together during captivity reported being bound and beaten. Their bodies bear scars and marks consistent with prolonged trauma.
One woman, injured during the attack, was confined in complete isolation for 30 days. Bound and unable to move, she had no contact with the outside world, received inadequate food and water, and was denied treatment for her injury.
Two young children had burn marks on their lower limbs. One child disclosed that the burns were inflicted through deliberate branding with a heated object.
In one tragic case, a hostage died from untreated medical complications.
Male captives endured severe physical abuse, including continuous starvation, beatings, branding with galvanized iron, hair-pulling, confinement in closed rooms with minimal sustenance, prolonged isolation with their hands and feet tied, and denial of bathroom access, forcing them to defecate on themselves.
Hamas’s captivity system was explicitly designed to inflict psychological torture, break morale, and ensure control over the hostages. Their imprisonment was marked by immense trauma: separation from family, immobilization, arbitrary transfers, and exposure to violence. Some captives even witnessed the murder of others, further deepening their despair.
Sharing details is essential
Many question the purpose of sharing such harrowing details. Given the United Nations and other human rights organizations’ failures to address the plight of Jewish victims, why reopen these wounds?
The answer is clear: 100 hostages remain in Gaza, some of whom are still alive. If this is the result of 55 days in captivity, what horrors might 450 days bring? Silence is not a luxury we can afford. During the Holocaust, the world turned its back on Jewish victims, but that did not stop survivors and allies from screaming about the genocide in Europe.
Documenting every detail of what occurred on October 7, 2023, and beyond is crucial. It will shape future policies and may redefine how democracies respond to non-state terror entities like Hamas.
Every day that the world, its leaders, and humanitarian organizations remain silent, they betray the victims and enable the perpetrators to continue their atrocities. History will remember their inaction and failure to stand against such immense suffering. Silence is complicity.
The writer is the co-founder and CEO of Social Lite Creative, a digital marketing firm that specializes in geopolitics.