Segev Kalfon, who survived being held captive by Hamas in Gaza for two years, shared the difficult days he experienced during his captivity and admitted that at certain moments, he felt like those were his last moments alive.
“I was in the lowest place a person can be before death, the lowest," he said in an interview with AP. "I had no control over anything, when to eat, when to shower, how much I want to eat."
He recounted that during his extreme weight loss, he could count his vertebrae. According to him, during the captivity, he and his fellow hostages were beaten with iron chains and large rings, which caused severe injuries.
Throughout the period, his family strengthened their faith in God and added sacred books and ritual objects to their home. While in captivity, the hostages marked the start of Shabbat and holidays with blessings over water and stale pita bread, and sometimes used a square of toilet paper as a kippah.
In a moment of mental despair, when he considered trying to escape knowing he might be killed, Kalfon heard his mother's voice on the radio - a message that gave him renewed hope.
Now, Kalfon is dealing with trauma and trying to return to normal life, but it is not easy for him. "Everyone wants to support me and say, ‘You’re such a hero.’ I don’t feel like a hero. Every person would want to survive."
He admits that the nightmares return at night, and every small noise reminds him of the days of captivity. "“Although the war in Gaza is over, now my war is starting with my soul," he said.
In the near future, he plans to share his story with the public. "I'm proof that it happened. I felt it on my body, felt it with my body. I saw it with my own eyes."
Kalfon, 27, from Dimona, was released last October. He was kidnapped during the massacre at the Nova Music Festival on October 7, 2023, and imprisoned in a cramped underground cell with five other hostages. His captivity included severe physical torture, prolonged hunger, and complete isolation, especially during the last three months.