Loraine Midda MBE

Israeli hostage survivor Bar Kupershtein, 24, has revealed the horrific torture, starvation and psychological abuse he endured during 738 days in Hamas captivity, including being forced to dig his own grave for a propaganda video, suffering repeated beatings and losing 65 pounds (29 kg). Kupershtein described spending most of his captivity underground with five other hostages, without daylight, proper sanitation or sufficient food. The hostages slept on thin mattresses on the floor, dug a hole beside them to use as a toilet and were allowed to shower only once a month. Their drinking water was contaminated, while meals consisted of rice and half a pita bread with cheese, infested with maggots. Kupershtein recalled how Hamas terrorists repeatedly told the hostages that Israel had abandoned them and wanted them dead. They were also forced to record propaganda videos praising their captors. Following the collapse of hostage negotiations in early 2025, the abuse intensified. "Hamas came day after day and beat us," he recalled. During one particularly brutal assault, terrorists blindfolded Kupershtein and fellow hostage Yosef Chaim Ohana, struck him in the face, dragged him by his leg into another room and tied his legs together. He feared they were preparing to amputate one of his legs. The beating lasted approximately 30 minutes and left him unable to stand properly for a month. Kupershtein had been working as a security guard at the Nova music festival on October 7, 2023, when Hamas launched its massacre. Before being kidnapped, he convinced a police commander to open an emergency exit, helping more than 2,000 festivalgoers escape. He also used an all-terrain vehicle to evacuate injured people before terrorists overran the festival. He was eventually captured and taken into Gaza. Despite the horrific conditions, Kupershtein said he and his fellow hostages maintained their Jewish traditions, gathering every week for Kiddush prayers using salty water instead of wine. On October 13, 2025, after 738 days in captivity, Kupershtein was released alongside 19 other surviving hostages. His reunion with his family was especially emotional. His father, who had lost the ability to walk following a motorcycle accident in 2019, managed to stand to welcome him home. A year later, Kupershtein says he has learned to appreciate the simplest freedoms, including opening his refrigerator, eating whenever he wants and taking a shower. He has since traveled internationally to share his testimony, met US President Donald Trump at the White House and published his memoir, Unbreakable.