Recent releases and accounts from hostages previously held by Hamas in Gaza have shed light on the harrowing conditions and abuses they endured. These details provide a grim insight into the experiences of the captives, including women and children, following the Hamas attack on southern Israel on October 7.
Israeli women and children, upon their return from captivity, have reported being beaten and threatened with death, constantly moved from place to place, and forced to live in fear, with little to do and minimal resources.
Deborah Cohen, speaking to France’s BFM TV, recounted the ordeal of her 12-year-old nephew Eitan Yahalomi. Eitan and others were beaten by Palestinian residents upon arrival in Gaza. He was also made to watch footage of the Hamas violence. He was threatened with weapons to keep them quiet.
Medical assessments of the hostages have revealed significant physical and psychological impacts. Ronit Zaidenstein, head of the medical team at Shamir Medical Center, noted that the 17 released Thai nationals they treated had lost substantial body weight, some more than 10 percent, due to being fed unnutritious and sparse food.
Margarita Mashavi, a doctor at Wolfson Medical Centre, mentioned that hostages described being kept several stories underground, often without light, receiving only two hours of light per day.
Mia Shem, 23, had a broken arm that was treated, badly, by a veterinarian, causing the fracture to improperly set. Doctors in Israel are now trying to undo the damage.
The psychological trauma is evident in the behavior of the hostages upon their return. Families of two girls, including nine-year-old Emily Hand and 13-year-old Hila Rotem Shoshani, found that their children were only speaking in whispers, a habit formed as they were instructed not to make any noise during captivity.
A caregiver from the Phillipines help hostage, said that he was forced to eat toilet paper to survive.
In the city of Khan Younis, hostages were moved from house to house, often without proper sleeping arrangements, and food allocations were significantly reduced over time. Osnat Meiri, shocked by the condition of her 78-year-old aunt Ruti Munder and 55-year-old cousin Keren Munder, described them as undernourished and visibly traumatized. The elderly women, in particular, experienced significant weight loss, with some losing between 17 and 33 pounds (8 and 15kg).
Yarden Bibas was filmed by Hamas being told that his wife Shiri and two children 4 and 10 months, were killed. He broke down.
Hamas have released a video of a hostage being told on camera that his 10month old baby, 4 year old and his wife are dead. We don’t know if it’s true. He broke down. This is torture. Hamas are inhumane monsters where cruelty is not the means to an an end – it is the goal itself.… pic.twitter.com/OUaFSM0suc
— leekern (@leekern13) November 30, 2023
The resilience of some hostages, like 78-year-old Ruti Munder, stand out. Despite the hardships, she found strength in the extended time spent with her daughter and grandson. However, the majority of the hostages have not yet faced the press, as doctors warn they remain in a delicate state. Itai Pessach, director of Sheba Medical Centre’s children’s hospital, mentioned that the staff had heard very difficult and complex stories from the hostages’ time in Hamas captivity and emphasized the long journey ahead for their healing.
This ongoing situation reveals the extent of the physical and psychological trauma experienced by the hostages. The ordeal has left deep scars, and the path to recovery for many will be long and challenging. The stories emerging from those released are a testament to the harsh realities faced during their captivity and the enduring impact of such experiences.
Prof. Itay Pesach, head of children’s hospital in Tel Aviv who treated 12 of the children hostages that were returned to Israel: “They were severely abused, both psychologically and in other ways. When they’ll start telling their stories none of us will be able to sleep at… pic.twitter.com/9PYXJBoPlb
— Elad Simchayoff (@Elad_Si) December 1, 2023
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