The family of hostage Alon Ohel, who was kidnapped by members of the Palestinian Hamas movement, said they had received a sign of life from him for the first time since he was kidnapped from a music festival on October 7, 2023, the Times of Israel reported.
In a statement released through the Hostage and Missing Families Forum, Ohel's family said that the returned hostages informed them that he was alive, but injured and had not been given medical attention.
"Today we were informed that since his kidnapping, Alon has been held in the tunnels in Gaza along with the recently released hostages. We are happy and excited to know that Alon is alive, but devastated and shocked by the difficult physical and mental condition Alon is in, as well as the abuse he and the other hostages continue to go through," his family said.
Taking into account what the released hostages told them, the family says Ohel was "held in harsh conditions in Hamas' underground tunnels, without daylight and in inhumane conditions."
"We have been informed that he has injured eyes," the family said, adding that he is "being held in extremely difficult conditions, with a severe shortage of food."
Calling on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to move forward with negotiations on the second phase of the ceasefire agreement without further delay, the family is asking the public to join them tomorrow evening in Tel Aviv's Hostage Square to mark Alon's 24th birthday, the newspaper added.
Alon Ohel is one of the many hostages taken on October 7th when Hamas attacked Israeli soil. Ohel has Serbian citizenship.
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