Released Israeli soldier says Hamas gave him the Torah and prayer tools during his captivity

An Israeli soldier who was released by Hamas on Monday said that the group met his requests to provide Jewish prayer items and a copy of the Torah while he was held in Gaza.

The soldier, Matan Angrest, said in his first interview after being freed, broadcast by Israel’s Channel 13, that he had asked his captors to bring him tefillin (a small leather box worn on the forehead during prayer), a siddur (prayer book), and the Torah.

He added that Hamas provided him with the requested items, which the group had obtained from places where the Israeli army had been present in Gaza.

Angrest explained that he performed his prayers three times a day inside the tunnels and survived several Israeli airstrikes that targeted the areas where he was held.

Hamas has repeatedly said that it makes every effort to protect the lives of prisoners, warning that the intense and indiscriminate Israeli bombardment poses a serious threat to them.

The soldier’s account of his treatment while in captivity contrasts sharply with reports from human rights organisations describing harsh conditions faced by Palestinian detainees in Israeli prisons, including torture, medical neglect, and mistreatment.

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