“We had one bucket of water, which was given to us once every two to three weeks, and that was supposed to be enough for all of us to wash. Five adults and a teenage girl.”
The freed Israeli hostage Luis Har, who spent 129 days in captivity and was freed by IDF soldier, described the long months of captivity in cruel and utterly impossible conditions. Five adults and a teenage girl, Mia Lamberg, who hid her little dog under her sweater, in a closed room, in a dark apartment locked with a bolt and latch. In the very heart of darkness.
“How did you manage with one bucket?” the interviewer asked with surprise.
“Mia had long beautiful hair. And we are adults. So we decided that all five of us would wash using only half a bucket, and the other half would go to Mia, so she could at least wash her hair. She is a teenage girl. For her, maintaining cleanliness and hygiene is more important, so of course, we accommodated her.”
Psychologist Ifat Mizrahi:
“For years we were taught that compassion disappears in inhumane conditions. That people turn into monsters under significant, extreme stress. But in all the testimonies of hostages who returned from this hell, we hear only stories of heroism, support, mutual aid, and a great, great deal of compassion for each other. This is solidarity, responsibility for one another, and humanity. This is the real Israel.”