|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Tel Aviv, Israel – Former Israeli hostage Daniella Gilboa was forced by Hamas to film a staged video of her own death while in captivity, her mother Orly Gilboa revealed in an emotional interview with Israel’s Channel 12 on Wednesday.
According to Orly, the ordeal occurred when one of Daniella’s captors entered her cell with a camera and told her they would be recording her “dead.”
“One of the captors simply came with a camera and told her: ‘Today we’re filming you dead,'” Orly recounted. “She begged for her life and asked him not to do it.”
The militants reportedly covered Daniella in a powdery substance to make it appear as if she was buried under rubble. The staged footage was then used in Hamas propaganda efforts.
Hamas Claimed IDF Killed Daniella in November
Hamas announced Daniella’s supposed death in November 2024, alleging she had been killed by Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) fire. At the time, the group released blurred images purportedly showing her body covered in debris.
The IDF later investigated the video but stated that it could not confirm or deny its authenticity.
Daniella, an IDF observer, was among seven female soldiers kidnapped from the Nahal Oz military base during Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israel. She spent over three months in captivity before being released in January as part of a negotiated exchange.
Emotional Reunion and Apology
After her release, Daniella expressed guilt over the suffering her family endured while she was in captivity.
“When she saw me and my husband for the first time, she apologized for what she made us feel during this whole period,” Orly said.
The new revelations about her treatment while in Gaza underscore the psychological torment inflicted on hostages during their months in captivity. Israeli authorities and advocacy groups have continued to call for the immediate release of all remaining hostages still held by Hamas.
As the war in Gaza continues, testimonies from freed captives shed new light on the brutal conditions hostages endured at the hands of their captors.