Hostage's mother breaks down on TV describing son's condition in captivity

(JNS) - Idit Ohel, mother of Hamas hostage Alon Ohel, 24, gave an emotional interview to Israel's Channel 12 News on Sunday after learning details of her son's captivity, including that he is practically starved and in chains.

The family recently discovered the state of Alon's captivity at the hands of Hamas from hostages released on Feb. 8. Eli Sharabi, 52, and Or Levy, 34 were held with him. Their medical condition was described as "poor" by Israeli doctors. 

Ohad Ben Ami, 56, was also released. All three appeared gaunt and unsteady, with little resemblance to their pictures before they were taken hostage.

Ohel told Channel 12 anchor Danny Kushmaro of the harrowing conditions in which her son was held. "They had almost no food, barely one pita a day," she said. And he had been bound with chains for more than a year, as were Sharabi and Levy.

Ohel broke down as she described her son chained and hungry. "I don't know how any mother can stomach this," she said, bursting into tears. "What this means is that everything you see about Eli and Or, Alon is now experiencing." 

Ohel also learned that her son has shrapnel in an eye, out of which he can only see shadows. He also has shrapnel in his shoulder and hand. He has received no treatment. 

Alon was taken from one of the "death shelters," a term used to describe the roadside bomb shelters at the Re'im, Alumim and Be'eri junctions near the Gaza Strip, where dozens of young Israelis were killed and taken hostage during the Hamas invasion on Oct. 7, 2023. 

Ohel strongly expressed her dismay that Alon was not included in the first phase of the ceasefire-for-hostages deal. "What is this selection? How in this situation is Alon not considered a humanitarian [case]? How is it that he is not here with me now?"

She revealed that Alon had already passed two birthdays in captivity. He is a pianist. She asked that all the artists in Israel gather on Monday to play for Alon's freedom. (Pianos are available to the public in many transportation hubs in Israel.)

One small fact she shared suggested that Alon possessed a resilient character as he remembered to wish his sister a happy birthday [which she celebrated on Saturday] from captivity. The message was passed to the family via the freed hostages who had been with him.

Ohel said Alon's great-grandfather and two grandfathers survived World War II. "They emerged also [weighing] 66 pounds and survived and raised families. Alon has those roots. Alon has this heritage. We know he is strong," she said. 

"But we need our country and we need the world to cry out and not let this continue to happen. It's humanitarian. As you saw yesterday, it is humanitarian," she said, referring to the shocking state of the three hostages released on Saturday.

The horrific images even reached U.S. President Donald Trump.  Speaking aboard Air Force One, he said the three men "look like Holocaust survivors. They were in horrible condition - emaciated. It looked like something from many years ago."