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In his first interview since being freed, Matan Zangauker recounts his harrowing kidnapping, brutal captivity, and the inspiring fight of his mother to secure his release.<\/p>\n
Matan Zangauker<\/a>, freed after 738 days in captivity, gave his first full account of abduction from Kibbutz Nir Oz, harsh conditions underground in Gaza, and a forced trek to Rafah, in an interview with N12 on Monday.<\/p>\n Zangauker, a resident of Kibbutz Nir Oz, was taken from his home on October 7, 2023, during the Hamas assault on southern Israel. Speaking publicly for the first time since his release, he described being seized by armed terrorists who stormed his home and pulled him from the kibbutz’s safe room.<\/p>\n \u201cI saw black. I was almost fainting,\u201d he recalled, describing being beaten by crowds as he was dragged across the border into Gaza. Inside a tunnel<\/a>, he said he saw the body of a dead Israeli soldier.<\/p>\n He was held underground for most of his captivity, moved between tunnels and safe houses, often denied food, and subjected to physical and psychological abuse. Guards treated him as if he were a soldier, he said, because of his age. \u201cWe were in a small cage, two mattresses. One tiny blanket,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n At one point, Zangauker said he was forced to walk to Rafah, disguised among civilians. \u201cWe walked to Rafah on foot, accompanied by thousands of their residents,\u201d he said. \u201cIDF was nearby. It was next to a shoreline. We could hear the waves.\u201d He recounted days spent in a mosque and later in a tent near the coast.<\/p>\n