In a harrowing testimony before Israel’s Knesset on Tuesday, former hostage Ohad Ben Ami revealed that Hamas operatives forced him and fellow captives to choose which among them would be executed during their months-long captivity in Gaza.
Ben Ami, a resident of Kibbutz Be’eri, was abducted during the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on southern Israel, which claimed over 1,200 lives and saw more than 250 people taken hostage. He was released in February 2025 under a temporary ceasefire agreement.
Appearing before the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, Ben Ami recounted a chilling incident that occurred roughly one month before his release. According to his testimony, a senior Hamas commander assembled six hostages, armed himself, and delivered a brutal ultimatum.
“Choose three people to die and three who I will shoot in the kneecap,” the commander reportedly told them.
The hostages, under armed guard and filmed throughout the ordeal, were forced to debate amongst themselves who should live, who should be maimed, and who should die.
“We had to explain why we deserved to live or be shot,” Ben Ami said. “It was psychological torture meant to humiliate and break us.”
He did not disclose the outcome of the incident but described it as one of the darkest moments of his captivity.
Lawmakers reacted with visible shock and outrage, vowing to continue efforts to secure the release of remaining hostages and to hold Hamas accountable for what they described as war crimes. Of the approximately 50 hostages still believed to be in Gaza, Israeli intelligence estimates that only about 20 may still be alive.
Ben Ami’s testimony adds to mounting evidence of severe abuse, including beatings, psychological torment, and the use of civilians as human shields—allegations that could have significant implications for international legal and diplomatic efforts moving forward.
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