Nurse Recounts Ordeal in Gaza: Treating Hostages in Underground Tunnel
In a shocking account of her captivity, nurse Nili Margalit reveals the harrowing conditions she endured while being held hostage in an underground tunnel in Gaza. Margalit, who was among the scores of Israelis abducted by Hamas, spent her time treating elderly hostages with meager medical supplies, which she had to negotiate for with her captors.
Margalit, 41, was seized from her village by Palestinian civilians and sold to the Islamist gunmen who led the rampage on October 7th, triggering a war. Unaware of her father’s death and the fate of over 1,200 others, she found herself in a stifling Hamas tunnel, surrounded by hostages with various injuries.
Using her basic Arabic skills learned from working in an emergency room with Bedouin patients, Margalit informed the Hamas captors that she was a nurse. They agreed to let her take charge of the hostages’ medical needs. She asked the elderly hostages to list their important medications for heart conditions, blood pressure, and kidneys. Margalit wrote down these prescriptions in English for Hamas.
Days later, a black bag of pharmacy supplies arrived, but it proved to be inadequate, with some prescriptions mismatched. Despite the scarcity of resources, Margalit did her best to provide care. She dressed wounds with honey to counter inflammation and rationed medication to ensure that diabetes sufferers did not experience hyperglycemia.
Obtaining new supplies required negotiation with Hamas captors, including senior Palestinian officials who conversed in Hebrew. Margalit bugged them persistently, warning that some hostages could succumb to their illnesses. This tactic frightened them, as they did not want the hostages to die.
Margalit was eventually released along with several elderly female hostages in a prisoner exchange deal between Israel and Hamas. However, many elderly men remain among the 132 hostages still held in Gaza, with 25 reported deaths. Hamas has claimed that some hostages were killed by shelling, and there were even threats of execution.
Margalit believes that medical supplies have likely run out by now, as the war continues to rage above the tunnels where they were held captive. She recalls feeling abandoned by Israel, as the lack of food and medication intensified. Hamas blamed Israel’s Gaza offensive for the shortage, further exacerbating the hostages’ suffering.
During her 40 days of captivity, Margalit was allowed to watch some TV news. She would then relay the information to elderly hostages who could not follow the reports themselves due to their captivity without glasses or hearing aids. The captors would punish the hostages by limiting the hours of illumination in their cells or restricting the use of ventilation fans.
To help calm her own anxiety and that of the other hostages, Margalit requested tranquilizers and sleeping pills from Hamas. She feared that she would go crazy at any moment and desperately needed something to calm her nerves.
Margalit’s account sheds light on the unimaginable conditions faced by hostages in Gaza. The lack of medical supplies and basic necessities, coupled with the constant fear and uncertainty, created a living nightmare for those held captive. As the conflict continues, it is crucial to remember the innocent victims caught in the crossfire and work towards a peaceful resolution.