During the initial two months of Andrey Kozlov’s captivity in Gaza, militants tied his hands and feet, leaving visible marks on his body. They attempted to persuade him that his family and the outside world had abandoned him.
“Your mother is currently vacationing in Greece,” the militants falsely informed him. “She has no knowledge of your situation and has no interest in knowing.”
The harrowing tale of Mr. Kozlov’s eight-month ordeal in captivity, as recounted by his parents in an interview, came to light after he and three other hostages were rescued by Israeli commandos in central Gaza. This operation resulted in the deaths of numerous Palestinians. The revelations provided further evidence of the mistreatment of hostages in Gaza, following reports of physical, emotional, and even sexual abuse suffered by those released last November during a temporary cease-fire.
The daring rescue not only lifted the spirits of the Israeli public and sparked spontaneous celebrations but also highlighted the plight of over 100 other hostages, both living and deceased, still trapped in Gaza.
Describing his experience, Mr. Kozlov’s mother, Evgeniia Kozlova, said, “He mentioned that it was extremely challenging. It’s difficult to articulate in words.”
Hamas has claimed that they treat hostages better than Israel treats Palestinian prisoners, a statement vehemently refuted by Israeli officials. In a cruel attempt at psychological manipulation, Mr. Kozlov’s captors falsely informed him that the Israeli government viewed the hostages as a burden.
“They instructed Andrey to remain silent because they, the hostages, were a problem for Israel,” Ms. Kozlova revealed. “They insinuated that Israel could resolve this ‘problem’ by any means necessary, including killing the hostages to eliminate them from their concerns.”
The militants’ propaganda deeply affected Mr. Kozlov to the extent that when Israeli forces arrived to rescue him in central Gaza, he initially questioned whether they had come to save him or harm him.
Evgeniia Kozlova, seated, shared the challenges her son Andrey Kozlov faced during his lengthy captivity in Gaza. Standing behind her is Jenifer Master, Andrey’s girlfriend. Credit…Ohad Zwigenberg/Associated Press
Since the conflict began, Israeli forces have managed to rescue only seven out of the approximately 250 individuals abducted to Gaza during the Hamas-led attacks in southern Israel on October 7. (Over 100 hostages were released in November as part of a short-lived cease-fire; Israeli authorities estimate that at least a third of the remaining 120 captives in Gaza are deceased) The recent rescue operation resulted in the deaths of over 200 Palestinians, many of whom were civilians, according to Gaza health authorities.
Israel has condemned Hamas for holding hostages in civilian areas. Ghazi Hamad, a senior Hamas official, stated on Sunday that…
Published on 2024-06-13 15:07:06
Source: www.nytimes.com