ARUTZ SHEVA
Account from captivity: ‘I demanded tefillin and prayer book and they gave them to me’
Dvir Amar
October 15, 2025

Two days after he was released from two years of brutal torture in Hamas captivity, 22-year-old IDF tanker Matan Angrest shared a shocking yet inspiring account of his time in the tunnels in Gaza. Angrest, who was abducted during a heroic battle in Nahal Oz on October 7th, 2023, recounted how he kept his spirits up with daily prayers, strong faith, and unwavering hope. “It was clear to me that I’d get out of captivity,” he said, “The place I was in was bombed, but I wasn’t hurt; it was a series of miracles…Angrest, who survived the initial explosion and was the only soldier to exit his tank alive, was abducted and taken to the Gaza Strip. His mother, Anat, shared this week that “Matan underwent very severe torture, “which included severe burns on his right arm and fingers, harm to his vision, and unlivable conditions. READ MORE

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