According to a report by Sky News, on August 27, 2025, In an address to the United Nations Security Council, freed Israeli hostage Ilana Gritzewsky shed light on the deceptive civilian lives of her captors, emphasizing how they blended seamlessly into everyday society.
“They did not wear Hamas uniforms. They dressed like civilians,” she recounted, adding that her abductors casually revealed their professions: one as a math teacher and the other as a lawyer.
Gritzewsky, who endured 55 days in captivity, detailed her ordeal in vivid terms. She described being paraded through Gaza’s streets, forced to hold a terrorist’s hand “as if I was his bride.”
Upon arriving at a secondary apartment, neighbors emerged to gawk at her as “their prize,” highlighting the community’s complicity or awareness.
Conditions were dire during her 14-day stay at this location, with scant food and water leading to a staggering 12kg (around 24lbs) weight loss.
Despite informing her captors of pre-existing medical issues, no doctor was summoned, exacerbating her suffering.
The psychological torment was relentless. “For 50 days, they told me I could not escape,” Gritzewsky testified. Her guards warned that she and others might remain hostages for five or even 10 years, instilling a sense of hopeless permanence.
Her testimony, building on earlier statements, calls attention to the human cost of the conflict.
