After the release of young Franco-Israeli hostages held by Hamas, testimonies are pouring in. Deborah Cohen, the aunt of 12-year-old Eitan Yahalomi, said BFM TV that his nephew experienced “horrors” during his captivity in Gaza. The teenager was beaten by Palestinian “civilians”, she claims.
Earlier on Tuesday, French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna said on RTL radio that the three freed French minors seemed to be doing well physically while evoking the “psychological shock” linked to the long detention.
“I wanted to hope that he (Eitan) is treated well. Apparently not “
“Hamas forced him to watch” the abuses committed and filmed on October 7 by its fighters, she said. “Every time a child cried, they threatened him with a gun to keep him quiet,” continued Deborah Cohen. “I wanted to hope that he [Eitan] be treated well. Apparently not. They are monsters,” judged his aunt.
“Yesterday, we were so happy [de sa libération]. But now that I know this, I’m worried. There is still his father there,” she confided. “How can you feel good after an experience like that? He has a long way to go,” she added. “He’s a calm child. It’s going to take time to let out your emotions. »
The Franco-Israelis, Erez and Sahar Kalderon, 12 and 16 years old, and Eitan Yahalomi, 12 years old, arrived in Israel on Monday evening as part of the truce agreement with the Palestinian Islamist movement. “It was hard, but it was worth it, they’re coming back,” exulted the mother of Erez and Sahar.
They were among around 240 people captured in Israel during the October 7 attacks, 50 of whom have so far been released. Some 150 Palestinians imprisoned in Israeli prisons were released as part of a truce agreement between Israel and Hamas.