Yarden Roman Gat, who was released from Hamas captivity during a November 2023 prisoner swap, spoke to CNN about her experiences.
Roman Gat was kidnapped to Gaza on October 7, along with her husband and their daughter Geffen, but the family escaped the terrorists' vehicle as it approached the Gaza border. Yarden then managed to hand over Geffen to Alon, who she knew to be a strong runner, and the two succeeded in escaping the terrorists, though Yarden herself was recaptured.
Speaking with CNN, Roman Gat recalled that "every second" there was a terrorist with her while she was in captivity. Attempting to describe the experience, she broke down and had to take a break.
"You cannot speak out, there is no certainty," she said, after the interview resumed. "You have to be alert, all of the time. It's very deep aspects of humanity that are taken away. "
Roman Gat also said that she learned her sister-in-law Carmel Gat had been kidnapped from television in Gaza. She noted that her first concern is whether Carmel is still alive, but her second is for Carmel's soul. She also stressed that the family has no way of knowing what state Carmel is in or how she will return from captivity.
Recalling her first meeting with other hostages, Roman Gat said that she found it hard to listen to what they had been through. It was the "worst you can imagine," she stressed, noting that in her opinion they had been through more horrors than she.