Former Hostage Raz Ben Ami: “Ohad Lost 35 Kilos in Captivity. He Came Back with 3.5% Body Fat”

Raz Ben Ami, a survivor of Hamas captivity, delivered an emotional plea in a live interview on “HaHadashot Baboker” (Morning News), following the release of harrowing footage showing hostages Rom Breslavski and Evyatar David still in captivity. Her message was clear: the hostages must be brought home now, or many won’t survive.

“I’m not okay,” Ben Ami told anchor Niv Raskin. “I see the videos and I’m in tears. I don’t understand how they’re still there. Their condition is so bad. When Ohad returned, the doctors told him that if he had stayed one more week, he would have died.”

Ben Ami and her husband, Ohad, were kidnapped from their home on October 7, during the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel. Their daughter, Ella, made headlines when she called journalist Danny Kushmaro live on air, screaming that her father had been abducted. Raz was freed after 54 days. Ohad returned after 491 days in captivity.

In the interview, Ben Ami recalled the physical and psychological toll captivity had on her husband. “He lost 35 kilograms and came back with only 3.5% body fat,” she revealed. “They were barely fed, sometimes a pita they saved because they didn’t know when they’d get food again. A little rice and lentils, but never enough.”

Ben Ami also recounted a terrifying moment in captivity: “One day there was shelling and we were all told to stand by the door. The guards stood with guns. I don’t know if they were planning to get rid of us and run, but it was terrifying. I pity those who are still there. From Ohad’s stories, it’s a nightmare.”

When asked if a solution is near, she expressed frustration and fear. “I don’t see a deal happening. In the meantime, they need food and medicine. The Red Cross, or whoever can, must go in. Right now. We’re out of time.”

Ben Ami criticized the government for lacking urgency in securing the hostages' release. “I sat in Gaza. You're constantly afraid the army will enter. The guards are with you in the room, and if they hear someone coming, they’ll shoot.”

Regarding calls to retake Gaza militarily, she warned: “More force won’t help. It willa only lead to more deaths. When I came back, they filmed a video at the Hostage Families Headquarters. I said then: if they’re not released soon, they’ll come back in coffins. Sadly, that’s exactly what’s happening. People who were alive when I returned are now dead.” Ella Ben Ami, Ohad’s daughter, spoke about the personal impact. “The hardest thing while my dad was in captivity was saying ‘he only has a few days left.’ I’d cry for days. Now, watching other families go through that is unbearable.” She added that Ohad, upon returning, made it his mission to bring the others back. “From day one, he said everyone still there looks like it did, if not worse. He’s desperate to do something. He’s even considering a hunger strike, even though his body might not survive it.”

Ella is also close to the sister of Evyatar David, one of the hostages featured in the recent videos. “We’re giving them space now, but they’re an incredible family. This is an impossible situation: watching your loved ones suffering from a distance.” In closing, Raz Ben Ami issued a powerful call to action: “We’ve already lost. We lost on October 7. But we can still save lives. The hostages have no time left. We must bring them back now.”