Freed Hamas Hostage Avinatan Or Reveals Chilling Warning From Captor Before Release

Former Hamas hostage Avinatan Or spoke overnight Wednesday at the Israel Hayom conference in New York, reflecting on his captivity in Gaza and recounting a chilling conversation with one of his captors shortly before his release.

"I saw the enemy's plans," Or declared. "This war must end with only one outcome."

Opening his remarks, Or described the psychological impact of prolonged captivity and the struggle to maintain hope in complete darkness. "I want to share a thought with you about darkness," he began. "In darkness, the brain shifts into survival mode. You can no longer see anything, and your other senses become sharper. Smells grow stronger, sounds become clearer. When you want to survive and have nothing, you will do anything to find something to hold on to, something to believe in, something that gives you hope."

Or explained that his captors controlled nearly every aspect of his existence, determining what he could see, hear, smell, and know. Yet despite their control over his physical circumstances, he refused to surrender his inner freedom.

"In captivity, I could see no reality other than what my captors chose to show me. They decided what I would see, hear, smell, and know. They took away my freedom in every sense except one: In the darkness of the tunnel, I refused to give up my freedom of choice—the freedom to decide how to respond to the reality forced upon me."

"Every morning and every evening, even when I could no longer tell them apart, I held on to that freedom. It was my responsibility to choose how to live my life each day," he added.

Hostage Recalls Chilling Warning From Hamas Captor

Or then recounted a disturbing conversation that took place just days before his release, when one of his Hamas captors, known as Abu Hassan, entered his cell and informed him that an agreement had been reached for his return home.

"A few days before my release, Abu Hassan, one of the Hamas terrorists, came into my cell and told me that a deal had been signed and I was going home. He wanted to give me some 'advice.' He said, 'Go home, say hello to your parents, spend a few days with your family, pack a suitcase—and leave Israel.'"

When Or asked why, the captor reportedly replied, "As long as the State of Israel exists, this war between Israel and Hamas will never end."

Or said the exchange left him with an unmistakable understanding of Hamas's ideology and the threat he believes it poses to Israel's future. "That conversation made it absolutely clear to me who we are dealing with and what Hamas is really about," he said. "They have only one goal: the destruction of the State of Israel."

"Believe me, I was held by the enemy. I was behind enemy lines during a war. I heard what they wanted to do to the Jews. I heard their ideology, saw their plans, and tasted their hatred."

Despite his experiences, Or emphasized that he despises war and its devastating consequences. However, he argued that the conflict cannot end without eliminating the threat posed by Hamas.

"I experienced what war truly means, and believe me—I hate war. That is precisely why this war must end with only one outcome," he declared. "Our mission is to ensure that an enemy whose entire existence is dedicated to spreading death does not continue to live alongside us. Because if they remain there, we will not be able to live here. We must complete the mission and destroy Hamas."

Or concluded by expressing hope that eliminating Hamas could open the door to a more peaceful future for the region. "The day Hamas no longer exists, the Middle East will finally be able to begin imagining a different, better future."