‘Unimaginable Suffering’: Concern Grows for Welfare of Matan Angrest, IDF Soldier Held Hostage by Hamas

Latest Developments

• Abused and Tortured: IDF soldier Matan Angrest, seized by Hamas terrorists during their October 7, 2023, assault on Israel, has been brutally abused and tortured by his captors, Israeli broadcaster Channel 12 reported. Angrest’s plight was highlighted in the Israeli media after his parents released the first image of the 23-year-old in captivity on March 4, taken from a video released by Hamas that showed him with significant bruising to his face. In a statement demanding that the Israeli government secure the release of all remaining hostages in Gaza before resuming any war with Hamas, Angrest’s family noted, “Matan was abducted in critical condition and is enduring unimaginable suffering, torture during interrogations, and inhumane conditions. Despite being severely wounded, he was not returned in the humanitarian phase [of the ceasefire with Hamas], solely because he is an Israeli soldier.”
• Hamas Video Will ‘Shock the Country’: Angrest, who served in a tank unit, was captured by Hamas terrorists as he participated in the defense of Nahal Oz, a kibbutz with a military outpost alongside, during the October 7 massacre. Three other members of his unit — Itai Chen, Daniel Peretz, and Tomer Leibovitz — were killed during the attack, while Angrest was abducted to Gaza while critically wounded. According to Channel 12, Angrest has been forced to treat his injuries by himself while being starved by his captors. Angrest’s family is currently deliberating over whether to release the Hamas video, which his father said would “shock the country.”
• ‘We’re Bringing Hostages Back,’ Trump Says: Following a spate of hostage releases during the first phase of the ceasefire in Gaza, 59 still remain in the coastal enclave, 27 of whom are believed to still be alive. The fate of the hostages was briefly mentioned by U.S. President Donald Trump in his address to Congress on March 4. “In the Middle East, we’re bringing back our hostages from Gaza,” Trump said.

FDD Expert Response

“The shocking image of Matan Angrest in captivity along with the reports of the abuse and torture he has suffered are one more illustration of the sadistic brutality that defines Hamas. As we have learned repeatedly since the October 7 atrocities, Hamas needs the hostages as leverage against Israel, but that doesn’t prevent its terrorists from abusing them or even murdering them.”  — Ben Cohen, FDD Senior Analyst and Rapid Response Director

“Hamas’s useful idiots like to present the terrorist group in a manner suitable to audiences in the West. But fundamentally, the Iran-backed group is a brutal clan of thugs that rules through fear, even killing Palestinians in its quest to terrorize and murder Israelis. The barbarity of October 7 wasn’t an aberration, and Matan Angrest’s continued torture is further proof of Hamas’s true nature.” — David May, Research Manager and Senior Research Analyst  

FDD Background and Analysis

“‘No Progress’: Hamas Rejects Israeli Proposal to Extend Phase One of Ceasefire,” FDD Flash Brief

“Hamas Releases Bodies of Four Slain Hostages to Complete Phase One of Ceasefire,” FDD Flash Brief

“Lawsuit Alleges Hamas Coordinated With Campus Protestors and Media in U.S.,” FDD Flash Brief