Viewers around the world were shaken by a Hamas video showing Israeli hostage Evyatar David emaciated and digging what he said was his own grave almost three months ago. A new Channel 13 report lays out what freed hostages and their families say happened behind the scenes: David and his friend hostage Guy Gilboa-Dalal were separated in the tunnels and denied food so they would appear skeletal for filmed “proof-of-life” clips, with food restored only after filming. The August video of David, which his family later allowed to be aired to expose the abuse, showed him gaunt with a shovel inside a tunnel.
In the video, David can be seen crossing off days on a makeshift calendar hung up on the side of an underground Gaza tunnel.
David was shirtless, and all of his ribs could be seen. He appeared to have been held alone for months. His biceps looked to be the same size as his forearms.
Hamas previously documented the pair being forced to watch other hostages’ release, part of a psychological pressure campaign that relatives say included showing curated snippets to deepen despair among those left behind.
New details emerging
New family accounts this week add personal details that underline both cruelty and strength. Elkana Bohbot’s mother told Israeli television that, during captivity, her son stitched a teddy bear for his young son Re’em after asking guards for a needle, thread and scrap fabric; the toy appeared at their reunion at Sheba Medical Center.
In his first on-camera remarks since returning, Maksim Herkin told Channel 13 from his hospital bed that public rallies for the hostages sustained him and others whenever they managed to glimpse updates. “I said I would be back in the morning; it took me two years,” he said, apologizing to his mother and calling the homecoming “the victory of every citizen.”
Separately, Rom Braslavski’s mother described long periods of isolation, targeted psychological manipulation designed to convince him Israel had collapsed, and episodes of extreme hunger, including burning clothing to boil pasta during an early month when he received only half a dry pita at night. She said he was not held in tunnels, was force-fed shortly before release and is now coping with blood sugar swings.