Ex-hostage recounts: 'We tried to escape through streets of Gaza'
Freed hostage Eliya Cohen recounted his attempt with other hostages to escape until they were recognized as Jews by a Gazan civilian. 'Everyone is Gaza supports this.'
Eliya Cohen, one of the hostages freed in the last hostage deal, has shared his harrowing experience of captivity in Gaza. In an interview with Ynet, Cohen described the initial moments of his abduction, a failed escape attempt, and the subsequent months spent in an underground tunnel beneath a mosque.
On the first day of captivity, Cohen recounted being informed of an impending airstrike, prompting the guards to relocate the hostages to a subterranean level. The building above them collapsed entirely. This marked the beginning of their ordeal in Gaza.
Later, upon hearing of another potential bombing, the guards fled, leaving the hostages behind. Seizing the opportunity, Cohen attempted to escape with fellow captives. However, they were soon apprehended by a local resident who recognized them as Jews. The captors argued, and eventually, the hostages were concealed in a grocery store. The bombings persisted, and they returned to the ruins, where they were held for two months.
"A young man from Gaza caught us outside, who recognized us as Jews. The owner of the house who was guarding us found the place and started fighting with him, in the end he hid us in the grocery store. The bombings continued, we returned to the house and slept for two months on the rubble," he said.
Cohen emphasized the widespread support for Hamas among Gazans, stating, "It's important to know, first of all, that everyone there in Gaza supports this. I saw it with my own eyes—children go to school in the morning with backpacks and return in the afternoon carrying weapons."
His testimony sheds light on the grim realities faced by hostages and the complex dynamics within Gaza during the conflict.