The family of one of the Israeli hostages recently released from the Gaza Strip after being held there for eight months has released details of their son’s time in captivity.
Andrei Kozlov, one of four hostages released on Saturday during an Israeli military operation, was held for two months during his captivity, his mother said in an interview with Israeli broadcaster Kan on Wednesday.
The 27-year-old man, originally from Russia, was kidnapped on October 7 from the Nova music festival, where he worked as a security guard, according to Israeli media.
Kozlov’s mother told the Israeli news website ynet that her son had shared with her that he had experienced experiences that he did not want to discuss.
His parents said he took comfort in being held with two other hostages, who were also released on Saturday. The fourth hostage, an Israeli woman, was rescued from a nearby building.
The mother reported that her son’s hands were initially tied behind his back, adding that he was later gagged with his hands in front of his chest, which seemed like a relief to him.
According to the report, his father stated that his son initially feared that the Israeli special forces who freed them would harm the hostages. Several media outlets, citing Kozlov’s parents, reported that the men were told that Israel wanted the hostages to die.
Kozlov’s girlfriend told Israeli broadcaster Channel 12 that the three men had been held captive in four different apartments. She said that in October and November last year they had very little to eat and were only allowed to shower once a week.
