During the eight months of Hamas captivity, the Israeli hostage experienced various punishments, according to his family's statement.
On Saturday, Andrey Kozlov, 27, was among four individuals rescued during an Israeli raid in the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza. It was the third instance of Israeli hostage rescue in Gaza and met with celebration in Israel. Regardless, the operation resulted in severe damage, leading Gaza officials to assert that at least 274 Palestinians had been killed throughout the raid and succeeding firefight with militants from Hamas.
Kozlov, along with Noa Argamani, Almog Meir Jan, and Shlomi Ziv, were detained in two civilian structures within the crowded territory. The IDF reported that the simultaneous raid on both buildings was carried out to guard against the captors' potential execution of hostages if they knew about active operations.
A Russian national, Kozlov relocated to Israel around two years back and worked as a security guard during the Nova music festival on October 7 before getting abducted and transported into Gaza. In an interview with CNN, Kozlov's family divulged information about his ordeal, including that he initially assumed the soldiers who liberated him were sent to end his life. Kozlov's father, Mikhail Kozlov, detailed how his son was fearful since Hamas had been falsely claiming that "Israel wanted to kill them all" for months. He later realized that the IDF had come to save him.
Mikhail also disclosed that his son wouldn't share details of his mistreatment, conveyed, "He wasn't seen as a human by them." One incident recounted by Kozlov's father was that "they would cover him with blankets during the hottest times of the day." His brother, Dmitry, mentioned that while the captors left no visible marks, they still tortured him routinely. Kozlov told his family that he was instructed not to speak in Hebrew, rather just whisper in English.
The emotional reunion between the Kozlov family and their son was profound for both parties. "The first meeting was very touching... We expected to have a vibrant meeting and some joy, but instead, he knelt down and burst into tears and that was very moving for us." remarked Mikhail. Dmitry described his brother's motives; "He says that he doesn't understand what he has done to deserve this generosity towards him, because he hasn't done anything. So he feels obliged to pass this goodness on to the next person and help get others [hostages] out."
Four hostages were rescued, leaving 116 hostages captured during the October 7 attacks, 41 of which are presumed to be deceased. Mikhail supports any measure required to secure the release of the remaining captives; whether it's negotiations or further military operations. He highlighted two potential approaches: "If it can be a deal, if a deal can help to release them, then be it... If it’s possible to carry such an operation again, then it should be an operation for the release of these hostages. We need to use any means to return these people back to their families.” Dr. Itai Pessach, the doctor in charge of the four hostages' medical attention, described their ordeal in Gaza as "a harsh, harsh experience, with a lot of abuse, almost every day." The hostages reportedly experienced continuous abuse: physical, mental, and other forms, leaving a significant impact on their health despite initially seeming in good condition. Moshe, one of the older hostages who was released, endured "horrible" conditions, with no access to basic needs such as a shower.
The four hostages who were liberated have substantial health issues, with Dr. Pessach noting they were severely malnourished, indicating that their muscles were wasted. The fluctuating conditions they experienced during their extensive captivity affected their health: "There have been periods where they got almost no food whatsoever, there were other periods where it was a little better, but all in all, the combination of the psychological stress, malnutrition, medical neglect, being limited to space, not seeing the sun and all of the other things have significant effect on health." Hamas's detainment tactics have been criticized previously based on hostages' experiences. Notably, Keren Munder, her mother, and her 9-year-old son, hosted in captivity before their release under a temporary truce, survived on minimal food for the duration of their detention. Munder and her mother endured profound weight loss due to the subpar food they received. Another hostage, 72-year-old Adinah Moshe, experienced living conditions that were "horrible" during her captivity.
Israel began its conflict in Gaza after Hamas perpetrated the October 7 attacks, during which approximately 1,200 individuals were slain and over 250 were taken captive. The Israeli mission has since resulted in over 37,000 deaths according to the Gaza Ministry of Health, as well as a humanitarian crisis.
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In response to the Israeli raid, Gaza officials expressed concern over the high number of casualties, claiming that at least 274 Palestinians were killed. Despite the tensions in the Middle East, Israel's rescue operation received widespread support and celebration, highlighting the global concern for the safety of hostages around the world.
