Two days after being released from two years of brutal torture: Captivity survivor Matan Engerst, 22, spoke today (Wednesday) at the Ichilov Medical Center in Tel Aviv about what happened in the Gaza tunnels.
Engerst, who was taken from the tank during a heroic battle in Nahal Oz, told how he maintained his spirit through daily prayer, strong faith, and uncompromising hope.
Engerst, who was the only one to emerge from the tank alive, was kidnapped and taken to the Gaza Strip. He was subjected to extremely severe torture - including severe burns to his right hand and fingers, damage to his eyesight, and suffering from unbearable conditions.
His father, Hagai Engerst, said: "He was treated like a captive soldier. His situation there was very bad, abuse. He has a lot of injuries that also happened during the seven months after the kidnapping.".
He was moved from place to place, sometimes with seven men in one pit, and faced isolation, hunger, and constant fear.
Despite this, Matan did not give up his faith. Just a month after his kidnapping, while he was still in shock from the events, "I insisted on putting on tefillin and receiving a siddur and a Bible. I demanded that the captors accept the items.".
The returnees complied with the request and he received them, including a prayer book delivered by a senior Hamas official.
""As part of my routine, I prayed three times a day - morning, evening and night," said Engerst. "It kept me going, it gave me hope." He described how, despite the abuse, this faith became a source of strength: "It was clear to me that I would get out of captivity. The places where I was were bombed by the IDF, but I was not harmed - a series of miracles.".
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