Jerusalem, 20 September, 2025 (TPS-IL) — Naama Levy, a hostage survivor who was held in Gaza for 477 days, spoke today at a UN event dedicated to hostages.
She described the moment of her kidnapping and her time in captivity: ‘I was violently dragged from a black jeep. I was injured, terrified, bleeding and helpless. I was displayed before an angry and hateful crowd, with the sounds of gunfire and cheers echoing around me. This was only the first day in hell. The first of 477 long and torturous days. Days turned into months, and months turned into more than a year. There were periods without food or water; I suffered severe malnutrition and unimaginable hunger, as well as many untreated injuries. I was held in unbearable sanitary conditions, constantly fearing that any moment could be my last. Every minute felt like an eternity for 477 days”, the former hostage said.