By Emily Crane | New York Post
The four Israeli hostages rescued during a daring military operation over the weekend were starved and beaten “almost every day” by Hamas terrorists during their eight months in captivity, their doctor has revealed.
Noa Argamani, 26, Almog Meir Jan, 22, Andrey Kozlov and Shlomi Ziv, 41, suffered the horrific abuse after they were all kidnapped from the Supernova desert rave during the Oct. 7 Hamas terror attacks.
“It was a harsh, harsh, experience, with a lot of abuse, almost every day,” Dr. Itai Pessach, who has been treating the freed hostages at the Tel Hashomer Hospital in central Israel, told CNN.
“Every hour, both physical, mental, and other types, and that is something that is beyond comprehension.”
The hostages opened up about the months-long torture they endured after being saved by Israeli forces during Saturday’s daring rescue in Nuseirat in central Gaza.
The doctor said the hostages had revealed they’d been moved by their Hamas captors several times while in captivity and the harm inflicted on them had “left a significant mark on their health.”
“They had no protein, so their muscles are extremely wasted, there is damage to some other systems because of that,” Pessach said, adding that the food and water supply was at times non-existent.
“There have been periods where they got almost no food whatsoever,” he continued.
“There were other periods where it was a little better, but all in all, the combination of the psychological stress, malnutrition or not getting enough food or not getting the right kind of food, medical neglect, being limited to space, not seeing the sun and all of the other things have [a] significant effect on health.”
The hostages, who the Israeli military initially said were in good health, were all reunited with their loved ones over the weekend after being rushed to the Israeli hospital.
Among them was Argamani — the young woman who became the symbol of the Oct. 7 bloodshed when she was filmed shouting “Don’t kill me!” as she was driven into Gaza on a motorbike.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog released a clip of a smiling Argamani speaking to him on the phone from hospital while flanked by her family and friends.
“Thank you for everything, thank you for this moment,” she said in the video.
“I am so excited to hear your voice, it brings tears to my eyes … Welcome home,” Herzog responded.