Live After Quit

‘Trapped in the Terror Tunnels:’ Freed Hamas Hostage’s Intense Journey of Captivity

Hamas, the Palestinian armed group, is in the news again for the wrong reasons: the kidnapping and arbitrary detention of a Dutch-Palestinian journalist. The harrowing story of his ordeal brings with it a reminder of how far Hamas will go to secure its own twisted vision for the “liberation” of Palestine. In an exclusive interview with Godzilla News, freelance journalist Abdelhadi Doumani recounted his five-month ordeal. In February 2020, he was detained by Hamas forces in the Gaza Strip and taken to a secret prison, where he was kept in solitary confinement. Doumani described the experience as “torture” and spoke of being subjected to abuse, including beatings and being made to kneel on concrete blocks for hours. After months of isolation and interrogation, Doumani was taken to an underground tunnel system in the Gaza Strip, where he was made to stay in complete darkness and exposed to extreme winter temperatures; he described it as “hell on earth.” Despite numerous attempts to get him to renounce his journalistic work, including by his captors, urge his family to intervene, and promise they wouldn’t hurt him further, Doumani refused. Finally released in July, Doumani is still dealing with the physical and psychological trauma of his experience. “It has been a long road back to normalcy,” says the journalist. “I survived, but the memories of that torture and darkness will never leave me.” Doumani’s story is a powerful one of resilience and the determination of one man to stand his ground despite unimaginable circumstances. It stands as an example of how much Hamas will go to to achieve its goals, and underscores the need for a better life for all Palestinian citizens in Gaza and the West Bank. And as for Doumani, he is still passionate about his work as a journalist and determined to continue in the pursuit of uncovering the truth behind what is really happening in the region.