June 17, 2024 – Israel-Gaza news

Two Israeli hostage survivors who were held by militant groups in Gaza for weeks shared their horrific stories while in captivity, according to a news release from the Hostages Families Forum Headquarters on Monday. 

Danielle Aloni, who was held hostage for 49 days along with her five-year-old daughter Amelia, said they were taken into tunnels after being snatched following Hamas attack on Israel in October 7.

“I have a vague memory of what happened from the moment they snatched my niece from my hands until we reached the entrance of the tunnels and a 30-meter ladder down. I’ve already told this and I have nothing to be ashamed of — the terrorist who was waiting for me in the tunnel as I descended the ladder grabbed my jewelry and tore it off me; he groped and grabbed me in intimate places in the most humiliating way in front of my daughter and I kept quiet out of fear,” Aloni said.

She said they were afraid of many things: “that they would shoot us, that they would get tired of us, that they would lose patience as the days went on.”

“One day, one of our guards came in armed with a weapon and sat between us — what does that mean? That they’re afraid of an IDF rescue operation? “she added.

Aloni and Amelia were among the Israeli hostages released last November in a hostage for Palestinian prisoner exchange deal.  

“It’s very difficult to think about the day after, when everyone returns, because the long-awaited day isn’t coming,” she said.

Hostage survivor Luis Har recounted his rescue after 129 days in captivity. Har was rescued in February in an early morning raid in which the Israeli military carried out airstrikes that local officials said killed around 100 people in the southern Gaza city of Rafah. 

“Suddenly, there was a huge explosion. I rolled towards the door and then they called out to me, “Luis, over here!” I crawled on all fours, and someone grabbed my head and leg and shouted, “Luis, IDF, IDF, we’ve come to take you home.” From that moment, all the worries and fears disappeared,” he said.

Israel and Hamas are at war, after the Palestinian militant group launched a surprise cross-border attack from Gaza on October 7, killing around 1,200 people and taking more than 250 hostages.