The World Health Organization’s (WHO) director-general has hailed the Israel-Hamas ceasefire and hostage agreement as “offering great hope” to those held on either side, although he stressed that they would face “complex” health issues that could last for years to come.
“The ceasefire agreement offers great hope that Israeli hostages will be liberated after more than 450 days in Gaza,” Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a post on X Saturday.
He added that the deal also offered hope to Palestinian prisoners in Israel, saying that those held on both sides will likely have faced, and will continue to face, “complex” health challenges that could take years to address.
The agreement between the two warring sides means that, in a first six-week phase, 33 Israelis taken by Hamas on October 7, 2023, and held captive for over a year will finally return home.
At Tel Aviv’s Sourasky Medical Center (Ichilov), an entire ward has been cleared out and redesigned to receive hostages. Medical complications that hostages are expected to suffer from include malnutrition, sensitivity to light and psychological trauma.
Eli Sprecher, CEO of the Tel Aviv Medical Center, told CNN that a special team has also been set up to address issues of sexual and gender-based violence, and that staff are prepared to run all necessary tests and screenings.
CNN’s Nadeen Ebrahim, Bianna Golodryga and Mike Schwartz contributed to this report.
Article by:Source –
