Report: Freed hostages suffered severe sexual torture

Chief Medical Officer of the Hostages' Medical Team, Dr. Amir Blumenfeld, provided a stark update on the condition of recently released hostages during an interview with Israeli radio station 103FM.

"Every single returnee shows evidence of physical trauma," Blumenfeld stated. "We now know they are subjected to severe physical and sexual torture. Their condition worsens daily. Their outward appearance is secondary to the nightmare they're enduring."

Or Levy, who was recently freed from Hamas captivity, was held alongside fellow hostage Eli Sharabi. His mother, Geula Levy, spoke to Kan Reshet Bet radio about her son's experience. "They were completely cut off from any communication," she reported. "Or had no information about his partner Einav's fate, which caused him intense anxiety."

Recounting their first conversation after his release, Geula shared Or's description of the moments before his capture on October 7. "They were packed so tightly in the shelter that movement was impossible," she said. "He remembered grenades being thrown in, and managed to throw the final one out. He spoke about Aner Shapira, who lost his life, calling him a hero and expressing a desire to meet his parents."

"He's severely underweight," Geula noted. "Though he's very emotional and embraces us, his thoughts are particularly with Almog. They've had a video call where Almog asked, 'Why were you gone so long? When can I see you?' His condition has visibly improved since his initial return. We believe he'll recover."

When asked about conditions in captivity, Or told his mother: "I couldn't tell day from night, summer from winter."

Released hostages have described receiving minimal sustenance - often just a quarter of a pita bread once daily. They report being permitted to shower only once every few weeks and describe a lack of proper toilet facilities, with captors restricting bathroom access to twice daily.

Survivors consistently report enduring severe physical abuse, systematic humiliation, and continuous psychological torment. Their captors remained armed throughout their detention, regularly using weapons to threaten them.