Tal Shoham Reveals Horrors of Captivity in Open Letter to Trump and Netanyahu
Personal Account of Abduction and Torture
In a poignant personal essay published in TIME magazine, Tal Shoham, who was held captive by Hamas for 505 days, recounted the harrowing experiences of his imprisonment and called for action to secure the release of remaining hostages. Addressing U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu directly, Shoham detailed the brutality he and others faced while trapped in a Gaza tunnel.
“I wake up some mornings and forget, for a split second, that I’m free,” Shoham opened his reflective piece, published in February. He urged the world leaders to advocate for the freedom of other hostages, particularly Abitar David and Guy Dalal, who suffered alongside him in the cramped and oppressive environment of the Hamas tunnel.
Conditions of Captivity
Shoham vividly described the deplorable conditions under which they were held. He recounted being confined in a tunnel measuring just 12 meters long and less than a meter wide. The captives shared a single piece of pita bread daily, exchanging stories in whispers about home to maintain their sanity.
“Initially, we were strangers in that darkness, but we became brothers,” he wrote, revealing the emotional bond formed during their suffering. Despite being tortured and deprived of basic human rights, Shoham noted that David and Dalal, who were forcibly taken from the Nova festival, displayed remarkable resilience.
Evidence of Sadism
The essay further exposed the sadism of their captors. Shoham detailed instances of psychological and physical torture, stating, “The people who held us did not see us as human beings. They tortured us for pleasure.” He described a terrifying tactic employed by the militants, who would light pieces of paper to suck the scant oxygen from the tunnel, forcing the captives to lie on the ground to avoid suffocation.
He also disclosed the presence of a camera monitoring them constantly and a bomb installed above them, which the captors claimed would detonate if rescue operations were attempted. “We were under threats, humiliation, and at times, torture—treated as objects to be controlled and broken.”
A Message to World Leaders
In his letter, Shoham provided a harrowing account of the psychological and emotional toll of their ordeal, emphasizing the shared daily rituals they created to retain their humanity. “We chose daily rituals just to remind ourselves who we are. Instead of a place built to break us, we held onto each other, becoming a united family,” he reflected.
As he concluded his essay, he directed a heartfelt plea to Trump and Netanyahu. “Abytar and Guy are not just statistics. They are sons, friends, music lovers—gentle, funny, full of life. They deserve to walk in the sun again. They deserve a future,” he implored, urging the leaders to ensure their safe return.
“President Trump, Prime Minister Netanyahu, you made this possible for me. Please, bring them home too. Let them breathe again,” he concluded, encapsulating his desperate hope for their freedom