Former hostage Evyatar David, who spent over two years in Hamas captivity in Gaza, revealed that he was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder that brings him back to the tunnels and the daily battle for survival he faced.

David, who has barely spoken publicly since his October 2025 release, recounted part of his ordeal on Channel 12’s “Uvda” program aired Thursday evening, alongside his good friend and fellow hostage Guy Gilboa-Dalal. David is remembered for being starved by his captors and forced to dig his own grave as part of a propaganda video published by the Palestinian terror group.

“After more than two years in captivity, I was sure that after what I’ve been through, nothing would be beyond me,” David wrote on social media before “Uvda” was broadcast.

“I went to dance at the Nova [festival], and in one moment my life was turned upside down. I was kidnapped and put in a dark tunnel, and all I thought about was surviving another day, and another day, until I return home,” he says.

“In the moments when I almost broke down, what kept me afloat were thoughts of my parents, family, friends, and the hope that nobody would give up on me,” David recounts.

“When I returned, I received more love than is imaginable. People whom I didn’t know told me they had prayed that I come back,” he continues. “After everything I saw there, the Nation of Israel reminded me that there is good in the world as well.”

“But slowly, I understood that even when you return home, not everything returns with you. I am dealing with PTSD and flashbacks. There are moments when I am in a safe place, surrounded by people I love, but my head still goes back there. I understood that surviving captivity is one thing, but complete........

© The Times of Israel