During the sweltering heat of Gaza, Andrey Kozlov recounted how Hamas fighters would cover him with blankets, leaving him trapped in his perspiration. When he inquired about his family, they would retort that he had been forgotten. Worse, once they removed his blindfold, they taunted him, saying they'd kill him and record the act.

Kozlov, now 27, endured intense psychological torment, and some physical torture, at the hands of Hamas. He struggles to fully convey the extent of suffering that he and his two fellow prisoners endured over the course of their eight-month captivity in Gaza.

Following his abduction from the Nova music festival on October 7, Kozlov—a Russian-Israeli citizen—revealed he was bound for up to three days with ropes, and later shackled with chains until mid-December. He endured what he termed "creative" punishments. One of his captors often declared that "Israel wants to kill us" and that they were expendable, nuisances Israel intended to eliminate.

Though he resisted believing the lies, Kozlov admitted that, by the time Israeli forces stormed his captivity site last month, he believed they were there to kill him, having been conditioned to fear the worst from both sides.

Instead, it was a daring rescue mission that brought Kozlov freedom, along with two other hostages and Noa Argamani, held nearby. However, this operation came at a heavy cost, with Gaza authorities reporting that at least 274 Palestinians perished as a direct result of the raid and ensuing clash with Hamas militants.

Speaking with CNN, Kozlov recounted his harrowing experience: the unrelenting psychological torment, the constant threats to his life, and his fervent hope for a deal between Israel and Hamas to free the other captives still enduring their imprisonment.

Kozlov, whose life in Israel had only started two years earlier, was completing his shift as a security guard at the Nova festival when the borders were breached by Hamas. He had originally taken the job because it seemed like "easy money." After signing off, he thought, "I’ll head home, get some sleep." But that peaceful return never happened.

Mere moments later, he found himself fleeing through the forest amid a mass of 200 to 300 people, driven by the sound of gunfire and a slew of gruesome videos already spreading online. But upon reaching a field, Kozlov noticed a car packed with armed men in green uniforms. "They were firing into the air and at us," he recalled in broken English.

Trying to hide among the bushes did little to shield him. Kozlov was quickly found and whisked away to Gaza, where he would be shuffled between numerous locations, imprisoned with Almog Meir Jan and Shlomi Ziv. Their eventual liberation took place in Nuseirat, at the heart of the enclave.

During his first day in captivity, Kozlov's captor removed his blindfold and used gestures to illustrate his impending doom. “I, tomorrow, you, camera, kill," the man’s gestures seemed to say, as he pantomimed pulling the trigger of an imaginary gun.

Kozlov braced for death, convinced it was near. However, as the hours ticked by, his terror subsided somewhat. In time, he said, he began to understand that they weren’t planning to kill them immediately. Instead, using gestures again, his captors explained their goal: an exchange—"You’re going to Israel; our people will return to Gaza and the West Bank."

For the first three months, the relentless bombing from Israeli forces was a constant source of fear. "Every bomb had us cowering in the corners of our room," Kozlov shared. Their captors, however, found this fear laughable, teasing them for it.

They were moved frequently between houses, Kozlov said, at times being provided with sufficient food. After being unchained in December, some locations allowed him to exercise, permitting activities like squats and pushups.

While physical abuse occurred, it was the psychological warfare that weighed heaviest on Kozlov’s mind. Guards, masked and brandishing Kalashnikovs or wielding large knives, played mind games with the hostages. The main guard, characterized by a shifting mood, was perhaps the most terrifying. "He had what seemed like two personalities," said Kozlov. "He’d tell us, 'There’s the good me, but you don’t want to meet the bad me, because I could kill you.'"

Some mornings, this guard would act cordially and offer to play cards with them. On other days, however, Kozlov would wake up and realize, “Ah, today it’s the second face. Don’t talk to him at all.”

Punishment was swift and often arbitrary. One incident unfolded when Kozlov washed his hands using drinking water before a meal. The guard noticed. "I told you not to do that, didn’t I?" Soon after, Kozlov was wrapped in thick blankets, under the searing May heat, and left like that for over an hour and a half.

Kozlov’s stories echo those of other hostages who have been rescued. Doctors overseeing his medical care, along with the others freed in the Israeli operation, confirmed that beatings were frequent, describing their ordeal as “a brutal experience riddled with daily abuse,” according to Dr. Itai Pessach.

“They went through periods of extreme food deprivation, followed by times when it was marginally better,” Dr. Pessach explained to CNN. “The compounded effects of psychological stress and malnutrition have taken a heavy toll on their physical well-being.”

Nevertheless, Kozlov considers himself "fortunate." Across his months in Gaza, he encountered other hostages. "I don’t want to talk about them… It’s painful, and it would endanger them," he said. But he confirmed they were faring worse than he had. Simply, “Yes, they were.”

For this reason, Kozlov urged Israeli officials to put themselves in their shoes. "Try to understand how we—the hostages—felt all this time. We must act fast to bring them home. I don’t know how, but it needs to happen immediately."

However, optimism surrounding a potential ceasefire-for-hostage agreement has dimmed this week. Hamas issued warnings that Israeli operations in Gaza could derail ongoing talks. Just last week, a U.S. official told CNN that there was a framework in place for negotiation, and an Israeli representative revealed Prime Minister Netanyahu had granted permission for detailed talks, suggesting a possible breakthrough.

Negotiations picked up again last Friday in Doha, Qatar. Over the weekend, Hamas showed willingness to compromise on a major sticking point—demanding a permanent ceasefire in Gaza prior to finalizing the agreement. Yet, by Sunday, doubts reemerged, with a statement from Netanyahu’s office reaffirming several "non-negotiable principles," including the intention to continue military action in Gaza until Israel’s war objectives were fully met.

For Kozlov, October 7 and June 18 have transformed into milestone dates in his life. “October 7 is now my second ‘birthday,’” he said. “And June 18 is my third.”

His greatest wish? That the 120 remaining hostages will soon have their own "birthday" to mark.