The brutal reality of Hamas’s systematic torture and dehumanization of Israeli hostages has come to light following Monday’s release of Guy Gilboa-Dalal and Evyatar David, who endured 736 days of captivity in Gaza’s underground tunnel network.
The two men, both 22 when captured during Hamas’s October 7 massacre, survived what can only be described as a calculated campaign of physical and psychological warfare. Their release, part of the final phase of the ceasefire agreement, exposes the depths of Hamas’s barbarism and their complete disregard for human rights and international law.
The facts paint a horrifying picture: After being violently abducted from the Nova music festival – where Hamas terrorists murdered 1,200 Israelis in the deadliest attack on Jews since the Holocaust – Gilboa-Dalal and David were subjected to immediate physical abuse. Palestinian civilians were permitted to assault the bound and hooded captives while Hamas terrorists watched with amusement – a clear indication that the entire Gaza population bears some responsibility for these atrocities.
For two weeks, the young men were kept bound and hooded with minimal sustenance. Their subsequent underground imprisonment revealed Hamas’s systematic approach to breaking their captives’ spirits. The terrorist organization implemented a deliberate starvation protocol, providing only a single pita bread with two teaspoons of cheese per day – barely enough to sustain life.
The psychological warfare was equally calculated. Hamas guards conducted daily “humiliation sessions,” during which they would physically assault the hostages before consuming full meals in front of them. These terrorists would taunt their captives with false claims about Israel abandoning them and their families being deceased – a clear violation of every standard of human decency and international law.
Despite these inhuman conditions, Gilboa-Dalal and David demonstrated remarkable resilience. Along with fellow captive Tal Shoham, they maintained their humanity by sharing their meager rations and forming a brotherhood in defiance of their captors’ attempts to break them.
This ordeal serves as a stark reminder of the true nature of Hamas – not freedom fighters or resistance movement, but a terrorist organization that employs medieval torture techniques against civilians. The left’s continued attempts to rationalize or contextualize Hamas’s actions become increasingly indefensible in light of these revelations.
The release of these hostages, while celebrated, should not distract from the fundamental truth: Hamas continues to hold other Israelis captive in similar conditions, and their elimination as a threat to civilization remains a moral imperative. The international community’s tepid response to these atrocities represents a moral failure that history will judge harshly.
Facts don’t care about feelings, and the facts here are clear: Hamas has demonstrated through its actions that it has no legitimate place in the community of nations. Any political solution that leaves this terrorist organization in power is not just misguided – it’s suicidal.
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