Freed Hostage Demands UN Recognize Gaza Captivity as Torture
Freed hostage Eli Sharabi called on the UN Human Rights Council to recognize Gaza captivity as torture. A new Jerusalem Institute for Justice report details systematic abuse.
Nearly three years after the October 7 massacre, freed hostage Eli Sharabi has called on the United Nations Human Rights Council to recognize the abduction and captivity of hostages in Gaza as acts of torture and to investigate those responsible. Sharabi's remarks coincide with a report by the Jerusalem Institute for Justice, which documents starvation, isolation, abuse, and psychological warfare, analyzing them as torture and crimes against humanity.
"I didn't know my family was murdered; I only found out when I was released," Sharabi described the moment his 491 days in captivity came to an end. Abducted from his home on the day of the massacre, where he lost his wife Lian and daughters Noya and Yael, Sharabi detailed the conditions of his imprisonment in Hamas tunnels: "For 491 days I was held underground, bound, starved, beaten, and humiliated." He urged the international body to take action, stating that the council must recognize the torture, demand criminal investigations, and confront terror networks.
The Jerusalem Institute for Justice report is based on testimonies from 78 freed hostages, documented among others by Adv. Yael Vias Gvirtzman, founder of the "October 7 - Justice Without Borders" organization. The testimonies describe deliberate starvation and medical neglect, alongside harsh detention conditions and prolonged isolation. Furthermore, the review highlights the widespread use of psychological terror, noting that 68% of hostages were forced to participate in propaganda videos.
Adv. Uri Morad, head of the international law and public diplomacy department at the institute, emphasized the urgent need for a holistic response, including updated international legislation and the application of universal jurisdiction. Meanwhile, the issue of sexual crimes during the massacre and captivity was recently addressed at the 15th UN Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice in Abu Dhabi, where WIZO hosted an international discussion on documenting sexual violence during wartime.
