Hostage rehabilitation lead: Full recovery can’t occur until all home

Naama Levy spent months alone in a tunnel, according to a 103FM interview with Dr. Einat Yehene, Head of Rehabilitation in the Health Division of the Hostage Families Forum, where she revealed details about the released hostages and their rehabilitation process.

“I will not speak about their specific condition, as we are in the process of finding that out. These are not things that are immediately visible, either physically or mentally,” Dr. Yehene, a clinical neuropsychologist, said at the start of the conversation.

She testified that she did not share in the euphoria that surrounded the release of the four female observer soldiers.

“On Saturday, I was troubled by the highly euphoric images,” she said.

“Hamas made sure to stage their release scene, with the neat look, the good soldiers, the certificates, and all the cheers that filled the air. The girls showed amazing resilience, and I am happy that they played along with this game in order to survive.”

“This is a complex trauma with ongoing stress,” she continued. “If we look at the entire picture of the abduction from October 7, there is the trauma of the abduction itself.”

“Regarding the female soldiers, we were witness to the horrifying images of their abduction, including the killing of their comrades. We now know about their prolonged captivity. It was reported that Naama spent months alone in a tunnel, and when she emerged, she didn’t know if she was still alive. There was a sense of detachment from reality. This is a complex trauma with ongoing stress and life-threatening danger.”

She also mentioned that even the moment of their release was very difficult: “Just by standing on stage, there could have been a Gazan in the crowd, who might have had a family member killed by the IDF the day before, and he could decide to draw a gun and shoot them.”

“The euphoria fades, and there’s the euphoria of the great relief of the release itself. It’s a cathartic moment, as the families have gone through hell,” she added.

The idyllic image of their return is not the reality, Dr. Yehene explained.

“This is not the truth, because we know that after the first few days, the media carnival ends, and the messages of ‘she’s still the same vibrant girl’ do not serve the person themselves or others and their condition.”

Psychological scars

Dr. Yehene has worked with released hostages from previous exchanges, and her conclusions are not at all euphoric: “What we know about people who spent fifty days in captivity is that none of them have ever found themselves again in this world.”

“The integration is difficult, and people carry complex post-traumatic symptoms. Some of the captives walk around with therapy dogs, some can’t go anywhere without family members. They also have nutritional deficiencies and a sense of alienation.”

“Until all the hostages return, they won’t be able to fully rehabilitate,” she added.

According to her research, full rehabilitation cannot occur without the return of all the hostages. She views this as a deep wound for both the returned hostages and their families: “One thing that stands out as a central element is that as long as there are hostages in Gaza, this struggle will not end, and until all of them return, there will be no full rehabilitation for either them or the public. The psychological scars will persist.”