Elderly Hostage Luis Har Recounts 129 Days Captive by Hamas, Forced to Cook

Captivity and Constant Threat

• 🧠 Luis Har, a 72-year-old Israeli, endured 129 days as a hostage in Gaza, living in a single room under constant armed guard by Hamas terrorists.
• ⚠️ He describes a state of perpetual vigilance, knowing that captors could be ordered to kill them at any moment, necessitating a careful approach to survival.
• 📉 Har lost 15 kilos during his captivity, becoming a "human skeleton" due to severe food and water rationing.

Daily Survival and Rationing

• 💧 Captives were limited to one pita and one bottle of water per day, shared among the group.
• 🚶‍♂️ To cope, they would engage in small movements or exercises within their confined space, but only when the terrorists allowed.
• 🗣️ Survival instincts dictated slow speech and movement to conserve energy and manage the extreme conditions.

The Role of Cook

• 🍳 Surprisingly, Luis Har was tasked with cooking for both the hostages and his five Hamas captors.
• 🥗 Initially, they had ingredients for dishes like shakshuka, omelets, salads, and soups, which Har prepared.
• 🔒 The terrorists were mistrustful, often hiding ingredients after Har cooked, only giving them out when needed.
• 👍 On one occasion, a terrorist thanked Har for the food, a moment that highlighted the complex and disturbing dynamics of their captivity.

Maintaining Humanity

• ✨ Har focused on maintaining hope and light for his family and sharing the truth of his experience.
• 🤝 He describes building a "dysfunctional family" dynamic, where shared meals, even under duress, were a part of their reality.
• 💖 Despite the trauma, Har's story is one of remarkable resilience and the effort to preserve his humanity throughout his ordeal.