"He hoped I would move on, because he didn't think he would return" - Horrifying hostage accounts revealed

Trofman, in the depths of despair, confessed that he did not believe he would survive the ordeal.

Alongside Trofman, two other hostages, Yair Horen and Sagie Dekel-Hen, were also held captive but shared their time with three other hostages. Upon their release, they provided updated testimonies to Israeli security officials about their own conditions and those of the other three captives still in Gaza. They reported severe physical and psychological violence inflicted on the hostages, particularly in the early months of captivity. Although kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz, they were treated like soldiers by their captors, forced into interrogations by Hamas and Islamic Jihad, where they faced brutal questioning regarding their military backgrounds.

The hostages were primarily held in underground tunnels in the Khan Younis area before being moved to apartments above ground. Life in captivity was brutal. For months, they lacked basic necessities, including food, daylight, and clean air. Days went by without food or water, especially when they were kept underground. The food they were given was often unfit for consumption, and they were forced to drink seawater to survive. Throughout their time in captivity, the hostages were isolated from the outside world, unaware of any media coverage or public efforts for their release. They received no updates from their captors, not even about the protests or calls for their freedom.

Sasha’s girlfriend, Sapir Cohen, shared a heartbreaking moment when Sasha confided that he had prayed for her to find love and move on with her life, not to wait for him because he didn’t believe he would survive. Meanwhile, Avital Dekel-Chen, whose family had also been held captive, shared her emotional relief at finally being able to reunite with her loved ones. However, despite the overwhelming joy of their release, the pain of knowing other families are still waiting for their loved ones to return remains a constant source of sorrow.