When Naama Issachar, an Israeli woman jailed in Russia, was finally released last Thursday after seven months in custody, she had a gut-wrenching description of her ordeal in the hands of the Palestinian militant group Hamas: Psychological warfare.
For 50 days, and three weeks more, Issachar was held captive by the militant group in the Gaza Strip, an experience she described as surreal and mentally drained.
The experience is symptomatic of the way Hamas often operates: with methods of psychological torture.
The militant group typically does not resort to physical violence when holding hostages, but instead relies on a range of psychological tactics. During Issachar’s hostage experience, these included sleep deprivation, threats of violence, isolation, and a few privileges that were taken away, such as access to books and showers.
This type of psychological warfare is often used to strip a captive of their autonomy and push them into compliance. According to Issachar, the experience left her feeling like a “puppet” under the control of her captors.
But there is hope in her story. Israel and Russia, in a rare moment of international political cooperation, worked together for months to secure Issachar’s release. This is evidence that these types of hostage experiences can indeed be survivable, and that perseverance can often be the key to success.
