Freed hostage Rom Braslavsky said in a new statement that he found faith during his captivity in Gaza, built a prayer he recited three times daily, and intends to keep Shabbat for the rest of his life. The account was published Sunday evening, deepening his public testimony since his release.
Rom Braslavsky, freed from Hamas captivity in Gaza after 738 days, disclosed Sunday evening a new dimension of his captivity—a profound religious transformation. In a statement disseminated via social media, Braslavsky said he 'returned to faith in Gaza,' built a personal prayer and recited it three times daily, and committed to keeping Shabbat for the rest of his life. The account deepens the portrait of his internal experience during 738 days in captivity, following earlier testimony about physical and psychological ordeal.
The new statement is the seventh update The Zioneer has published on Braslavsky since Sunday afternoon. At 17:54 Jerusalem, the first reports described his relief at learning his captor had been killed, and his disclosure that he would not have been able to go on living without that news. In subsequent reports at the same timestamp, Braslavsky described experiencing clinical death multiple times during torture; being held in a sealed, airless tent he called 'stinking'; and that every minute in captivity felt like a test from God—a detail that previewed tonight's faith-centered testimony. What started as a single-channel interview (Channel 14) has since been corroborated by Braslavsky's own social media posts and multiple news organizations.
The Zioneer has previously reported on Braslavsky's ongoing struggle with severe PTSD, which he described at a rally on July 2 as 'a personal war' that continues daily, and his account that a guard threatened to kill him minutes before his release (The Zioneer, June 10). He has also spoken at the White House, thanking President Trump for securing his release, and described his first moments after rescue as wanting only to see the sky (The Zioneer, June 22). These reports situate tonight's spiritual testimony within a broader story of physical survival, psychological trauma, and now faith.
It remains unclear whether Braslavsky's religious practice—prayer and Shabbat observance—began during captivity or solidified after his return, and whether he has formally joined any religious community since his release. His own statement attributes the transformation entirely to his time in Gaza.
7 developments
- DevelopingFreed hostage Rom Braslavsky recalls first moments after rescue: 'Just wanted to see the sky'
- DevelopingFreed hostage Rom Braslavsky says guard threatened to kill him minutes before release
- DevelopingFreed hostage Rom Braslavsky tells rally: '1,000 days for you, an eternity for me'
- StrongFreed hostage Rom Braslavsky says only now he can say '100 percent that I won'
Source and signal
- Internal intake