As the anniversary of the October 7 massacre looms, former hostages recount their harrowing experiences during captivity by Hamas, highlighting the trauma of their time spent in Gaza. Eli Sharabi, a survivor who endured 491 days as a hostage, reflects on the brutal conditions and the loss of his wife and daughters, expressing a complex mixture of resilience and bitterness. In his memoir, he emphasizes the plight of those still held captive, urging for their return and a different reality for victims of this ongoing conflict. Other freed hosts, like Tal Shoham, echo similar sentiments of survival amid despair while grappling with their traumatic past. Amidst these stories of survival, there remains a pervasive sense of hopelessness about the possibility of peace in the region, as many former captives confront the psychological scars of their experiences and the loss of their loved ones.