After being released from 50 days of captivity from the Hamas militant group, Avera Mengistu, an Israeli man of Ethiopian descent, described the experience of her captivity as intense psychological warfare. Mengistu, who entered Palestinian territory last year voluntarily, said her captors used verbal and psychological abuse to try to break her spirit and weaken her morale. This included deprivation of sleep, isolation, and humiliation. According to reports, Hamas has not issued any statement concerning Mengistu’s captivity or release.
