Feed aggregator

Released hostage Bar Kuperstein has recounted a deeply disturbing episode from his time in Hamas captivity, describing a period of intense violence that he says was triggered by developments outside the prison.

In an interview with Yisroel Hayom, Kuperstein said that after footage surfaced from the Sde Teiman base allegedly showing abuse of a Hamas detainee by the Force 100 prison intervention unit, their captors reacted with fury. According to him, they told the hostages that the video was spreading worldwide and warned, “Now you will suffer,” before launching into severe beatings. The captives were also forced to watch footage depicting assaults on prisoners.

“We couldn’t understand how videos that harm us could be published,” Kuperstein recalled. “It was a horrible period. They would beat us until they were exhausted, then say, ‘We’ll be back tomorrow.’ We spent nights unable to sleep from fear. This went on for days.”

Kuperstein said that roughly a week later, the hostages noticed lights in the distance and began reciting tefillos, including Shema Yisrael and Shir LaMa’alos, fearing that something worse was imminent. He and another hostage, Yosef Chaim Ochana, were abruptly removed, blindfolded, and prevented from speaking. “You think to yourself, after a week of beatings, this is it. They’re going to execute us, and no one will ever know,” he said.

He then described the next stage of the ordeal in graphic terms. Upon being brought into a room, the two were struck immediately, knocked to the floor, kicked, dragged, and repeatedly beaten. Their legs were fastened to iron bars, and their captors declared they would make them “feel on their own bodies” what they claimed had been done to their own prisoners. Kuperstein said he first heard Ochana crying out before the attackers turned their attention to him, striking his legs again and again with what seemed to be metal objects.

The beating continued until Kuperstein lost consciousness, leaving him with broken toes. He and Ohana were later forced to make their way back through a tunnel to the area where the other hostages were being held, a slow and painful journey that lasted several minutes.

Other captives, including Ohad Ben Ami, Elkana Bohbot, Segev Kalfon, and Maxim Herkin, were stunned when they saw their condition. “It was one of the hardest moments in captivity,” Kuperstein said.

Kuperstein added that the abuse finally stopped only after Ben Ami, the oldest of the group, broke down crying and begged their captors to stop.

Media personality Stephen A. Smith sharply criticized both Republicans and Democrats, arguing that neither party is offering strong leadership and raising concerns about a growing political void in the country.

Appearing on “Real Time with Bill Maher,” Smith pointed to what he sees as a lack of direction within the Republican Party, emphasizing its heavy reliance on President Donald Trump while questioning what comes next.

“Look at the Republican Party right now. It’s Trump. You know what I said the other week on my show? I said, ‘Y’all do know he’s leaving in 2028, right?’ Unless he circumvents the 22nd Amendment and runs for a third term, he’s leaving,” Smith said of the GOP on “Real Time with Bill Maher.”

He went on to dismiss other prominent Republican figures as lacking the same influence or appeal.

“JD Vance, you ain’t [Trump]. Don’t think you are. Marco Rubio, thank God he doesn’t try to be. The rest of these people fawning over him in such embarrassing fashion, you ain’t going to be him.”

Turning to foreign policy, Smith also took aim at Democrats for what he described as inconsistent positions regarding Iran, noting that many leaders across administrations have long viewed the country as a threat.

“They’re taking this position that Trump was wrong to go after Iran or what have you, but practically every president before him would complain about Iran and how Iran needed to be dealt with, but then, all of a sudden, he does it, and it’s a big problem,” he said.

While offering some criticism of Trump’s handling of the situation, Smith said the broader reaction from Democrats does not align with their previous rhetoric.

“Now, I’m not saying that he’s handled it entirely correctly. Please don’t get me wrong because he hasn’t,” he said.

“But the flip side to it is that you have got a lot of … nerve to be in the face of the American people saying for numerous administrations, ‘Iran is a problem. They have to be dealt with …’, and then this man deals with them, and then, all of a sudden, you’re complaining about him. Now it doesn’t really make sense.”

Smith also expressed frustration with Democratic leadership more broadly, arguing that the party has yet to produce a figure capable of uniting voters and providing direction.

“The Democrats, my God, please find somebody who can lead,” he said.

He singled out Gavin Newsom, suggesting the California governor has focused more on media appearances than governance.

“Gavin Newsom … he’s being known more for trolling Trump on his podcast or with other interviews than what he’s actually doing in the State of California. They think that’s leadership because they don’t have it.”

Smith, who has previously been mentioned as a possible 2028 presidential contender, has consistently taken a critical stance toward both parties. In past remarks, he indicated he would support Secretary of State Marco Rubio over several leading Democrats, while also making clear he does not intend to run for president himself.

“He’s an adult in the room. There is no questioning his qualifications for the job,” he told Fox News’ Sean Hannity on the new “Hang Out with Sean Hannity” podcast.

Smith added that, despite identifying as a Democrat, he would choose Rubio over prominent figures in his own party, including Newsom and former Vice President Kamala Harris.