Israel – Jerusalem Post, Sept. 19, 2025
Levy, who was released after 477 days in captivity, said she “suffered severe malnutrition, indescribable hunger, and many untreated injuries.”
Former hostage Naama Levy spoke at an event in New York on Friday, where she talked about the plight of the remaining 48 hostages in the Gaza Strip and advocated for efforts to secure their release.
The event was hosted by Hostage Aid Worldwide, a nonprofit that collects data on hostages and all unlawfully detained persons worldwide since 1979.
“You have all seen that horrifying video of me from that darkest day,” she said. “On October 7, 2023, I was kidnapped – violently dragged from a black jeep, wounded, terrified, bleeding, and helpless, paraded in front of a hateful, raging mob, with the terrifying sounds of gunfire and cheering all around me.”
Levy, who was released after 477 days in captivity in January 2025, added that she “suffered severe malnutrition, indescribable hunger, and many untreated injuries. I was kept in unbearable sanitary conditions, with the constant fear that each moment could be my last.
My time being held hostage will remain carved into my body and soul for the rest of my life.
“One of my most frightening memories was when I was forced to run from house to house with my two captors. Terrified and under fire, I could hear the gunshots and the bullets whistling past my ears. I ran as fast as I could, struggling to breathe, while my captors reloaded their weapons.”
