Released hostage Bar Kuperstein has revealed in an interview with Israel Hayom one of the most harrowing episodes he endured while in Hamas captivity, describing a brutal wave of abuse triggered by events outside the prison.
According to Kuperstein, the publication of footage from the Sde Teiman base showing alleged mistreatment of a Hamas prisoner by the Force 100 prison intervention unit, sparked violent retaliation against the hostages. Their captors told them the video was being circulated globally and warned, “Now you will suffer," before subjecting them to severe beatings. The hostages were also forced to watch footage of prisoners being assaulted.
“We couldn’t understand how videos that harm us could be published," Kuperstein recalled. “It was a horrible period. They would beat us until they were exhausted, then say, ‘We’ll be back tomorrow.’ We spent nights unable to sleep from fear. This went on for days."
After about a week, Kuperstein said, the hostages noticed lights in the distance and began reciting prayers, including “Shema Yisrael" and “Shir LaMa’alot," fearing the worst. He and fellow hostage Yosef Haim Ohana were suddenly taken away, hooded and silenced. “You think to yourself, after a week of beatings, this is it. They’re going to execute us, and no one will ever know," he said.
He went on to describe the violence in stark detail. Upon entering a room, the two were struck in the face, thrown to the ground, kicked, dragged, and beaten relentlessly. Their legs were tied to iron bars as the captors declared they would make them “feel on their own bodies" what had allegedly been done to their prisoners. Kuperstein said he heard Ohana screaming before the blows turned to him, including repeated strikes to his legs with what felt like metal objects.
The assault continued until Kuperstein lost consciousness, suffering broken toes. He and Ohana were later forced to limp back through a tunnel to where the other hostages were being held, a slow, agonizing journey that took several minutes.
Fellow captives, including Ohad Ben Ami, Elkana Bohbot, Segev Kalfon and Maxim Herkin, were left in shock at their condition. “It was one of the hardest moments in captivity," Kuperstein said.
According to his account, the abuse only came to an end after Ben Ami, the oldest among them, broke down in tears and pleaded with the captors to stop.