‘All I want to do is cry’: trauma of 7 October survivors three years after the attacks

AI Summary

Survivors of the Hamas attacks of 7 October 2023 continue to cope with profound trauma three years later, as Israeli communities weigh rebuilding against preserving the memory of those killed. Former hostage Keith Siegel describes recording details of his 484 days in captivity, hoping the information might help Israeli forces free other hostages and allow him to recount his experience to his family.

Israeli communities shattered by Hamas masacres are torn between rebuilding their lives and remembering lost friends and relatives Keith Siegel spent many of his long hours in Hamas captivity in Gaza etching everything that happened after 7 October 2023 into his memory. For 484 days, he recited to himself every place he was held, the dates he was moved and every attack or humiliation he endured or witnessed. He aimed to store intelligence that could help Israeli forces free other hostages if he was released, to keep track of time as the days slid by and be able to tell his family what happened to him. Now his body is free, but he cannot loosen those memories. Continue reading...