


A Hamas hostage tunnel immersive exhibit is coming to the city, as advocates try to show people some of the horror that hostages have been enduring in Gaza for more than 10 months.
As Hamas terrorists still hold more than 100 people hostage — including Americans — the exhibit on Boston City Hall Plaza intends to provide insight into the hostages’ experience.
People going to the exhibit starting Sunday will walk through a shipping container that’s covered with the faces of hostages — and hear audio from body cameras worn by Hamas terrorists on Oct. 7 and video from inside the tunnels. The exhibit was designed in consultation with hostages who were released in November.
“There’s a mattress on the floor and a bathroom area, so visitors can appreciate the extremely harsh conditions that individuals have experienced in the tunnels since Oct. 7,” Douglas Hauer, the lead organizer of the exhibit, told the Herald.
He emphasized the importance of raising awareness of the vulnerability of the hostages.
“We need to speak out. Silence is unacceptable,” Hauer said. “We need to amplify the situation of the hostages, and speak out for people who can’t be heard right now.
“This is not a political exhibit. It’s an exhibit against terror,” he added. “We reject terror, and we believe that the hostages must have visibility.”
The exhibit appeared before the UN in Geneva, Switzerland, in February, and at the National Mall in Washington, D.C., in March.
There were no counter-protests at those locations earlier this year, but “we’re on the heels of a period of extreme disruption,” Hauer said.
“The concerns about the vulnerability of the exhibit have been increased by the conduct of anti-Israel and antisemitic protesters,” Hauer added.
He has been working with local law enforcement to ensure they have security in place.
“The City of Boston has been a tremendous partner in helping us realize this exhibit,” Hauer said. “The Boston Police Department has been receptive and helpful since the very first meeting.”
The exhibit will be in Boston from Sunday to Tuesday.
The audio-visual simulation of the hostages’ experience is a project developed by The Forum for Families of Hostages. The exhibit is wheelchair accessible.
For security reasons, backpacks and personal items will not be allowed into the exhibit area.