Former hostage Alon Ohel has shared new details about the brutal conditions he endured while being held for months by Hamas in the Gaza Strip, describing threats, sexual harassment, starvation, and even undergoing surgery without anesthesia.
In an interview with N12, Ohel recounted how he was once left alone in a tunnel after being separated from other captives. There, he encountered terrorists whose sole purpose, he said, was to terrorize. According to Ohel, they manipulated access to food and subjected him to sexual harassment, including entering the shower with him and touching him despite his attempts to resist.
He said he wanted me to shower properly so I wouldnt get rashes, Ohel recalled, noting that the abuse did not escalate further, though the psychological toll was severe.
The Abduction
Ohel described the moment of his kidnapping, saying terrorists threw him like a sack of potatoes into a pickup truck. Still in shock, he saw another person jump from the vehicle only to be immediately killed. I told myself, no matter what, I choose life, he said.
He remembered crossing into Gaza within seconds. Covered in concrete dust and bleeding heavily from injuries to his head, shoulder, and eye, he struggled to see as they arrived at a hospital. Outside, a hostile crowd gathered. You cant call them uninvolved, he said. Everyone there was involved.
Ohel said his clothes were removed, and then he was taken to a nearby house where he was anesthetized for a procedure. When he awoke, the pain was overwhelming. Later, terrorists stitched the hostages wounds without anesthesia and forbade them from making noise. For two weeks we didnt speak. Youre taken from life and dropped into hell, he said.
Life Underground
He met fellow captives Eli Sharabi, Almog Sarusi, Ori Danino, and Hersh Goldberg-Polin after 52 days. Soon after, Sarusi, Danino, and Goldberg-Polin were taken to another tunnel where they were murdered in August 2024. Ohel remained with Sharabi and Eliya Cohen. Sharabi, he said, became like a father.
Food was scarce: We ate pita and four spoons of peas a day. Sometimes only dried dates. You look at yourself and see a skeleton. They were chained for extended periods and forced to eat on the ground. You are not a human being. You are an animal, he said.
Bombings and False Hope
When the IDF bombed the tunnel system, the hostages believed rescue was imminent. They fled through ruins while hearing gunfire, only to find another empty tunnel. Later, a senior terrorist claimed other captives were being freed. Ohel was separated from Sharabi, and both trembled as they said goodbye. He later learned the truth: the others were not released.
Transfer and Release
After eight months, Ohel was moved to southern Gaza a transfer he later understood was meant to pressure Israel. There he reunited with fellow navy serviceman Guy Gilboa-Dalal. Both were ordered to write letters to their families.
According to Ohel, Izzadin al-Haddad, then Hamass Gaza Brigade commander, entered the tunnel and announced that they would be freed. Shortly after, Red Cross officials took custody of the hostages. She apologized, he said of one representative. She was embarrassed. The Red Cross did nothing. Theyre no different from the UN.
From the vehicle window, he spotted IDF reservists waiting. Upon returning to Israel, he stayed composed for his family, wanting to show he had survived intact though he later allowed himself to feel the weight of what he endured, especially upon learning that Sharabis entire family had been murdered.
Reclaiming Life
For two years I was a dead person, Ohel said. I prayed for someone to save me, but I discovered that I am strong. I am not a victim. I take what I went through and grow. I will continue to learn, develop, and conquer the world.
