Mr Or’s father told Israeli media about the conditions his son had been kept in – food supplies which were “meagre” and a lot of time alone, chained up in tunnels and small enclosures during his 738 days in captivity.
He said his son – who is around 2m (6ft 5in) tall – was held at one point in a space just 1.8m high, and just slightly longer than the mattress he slept on.
“He’s extremely thin,” Yaron Or told reporters, adding that his son had had “no books, no human contact – nothing”, but was given a Rubik’s Cube at one point.
He was given very little information about the outside world, including the whereabouts of his girlfriend or the full scope of the Hamas attacks and subsequent Israeli offensive.
“Around him were guards whose relatives had been killed in IDF [Israel Defense Forces] strikes, I think it’s simply a miracle they didn’t harm him, except for one time he tried to escape,” the senior Mr Or said.
Avinatan Or reportedly tried to escape whilst being moved through a tunnel but was captured and beaten for the attempt.
“He’s sharing things gradually, we’re not asking directly,” his father said.
“Physically, he still needs to recover,” he continued.
“But mentally, thank God, he’s the same Avinatan – same humour, same strength.”