Conditions of released hostages revealed

A group of Israeli hostages freed as part of the current ceasefire had been held in Hamas tunnels for up to eight consecutive months, without daylight and with little or no human contact. This was revealed today (Monday) by the Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Lt. Col. Dr. Avi Banov, in an interview with Reuters.

“Some of them told us that they’ve been in the past few months, that they’ve been through the entire time, in tunnels, underground,” Banov said. “Some of them were alone through the entire time they were there. Those who said they were together were in better shape.” According to Banov, the hostages’ conditions improved in the days leading up to their release, during which they were allowed to shower, change clothes, and received better food.

Banov noted that some hostages did not receive proper medical care for injuries sustained during their abduction on October 7, and some displayed signs malnutrition. Citing privacy concerns, Banov declined to comment on whether any of the seven female hostages released so far – three civilians and four soldiers – bore signs of torture or abuse.

Eitan Gonen, the father of 24-year-old Roni Gonen, who was freed last Sunday, described his daughter as “amazing.” He added, “We met a mature, amazing woman who stunned us all.” He revealed that Roni had heard some of his media interviews while in captivity. “Even if only 10% of the interviews reach the hostages’ ears, it is enough to give them strength,” Eitan said. “It gave her a lot of strength, energy and great hope.”

In the coming days, another 26 hostages are expected to be released as part of the first stage of the six-week ceasefire. Banov estimated that the next group of released hostages “will be more ill and also people who have died during their time in Gaza”.