The hostages had no access to media and were unaware of the details of the October 7th massacre.
By Vered Weiss, World Israel News
The testimonies of the three hostages released on Saturday night—Ohad Ben-Ami, Eli Sharabi, and Or Levy—reveal that they suffered physical and mental abuse, were starved, and were confined to tunnels without exposure to daylight.
Additionally, they had no access to media and were unaware of the details of the October 7 massacre.
Eli Sharabi was unaware that his wife, Lianne, and their two daughters—13-year-old Yahel and 16-year-old Noya—had been murdered during the attack. He only discovered the tragic news upon his release.
Hamas captors increased the hostages’ food intake before their release, likely in an attempt to conceal human rights abuses.
Dr. Hagar Mizrahi, head of the Health Ministry’s General Medicine Division, said, “The harrowing images of the three released hostages reinforce reports of severe abuse during their captivity.”
“They have endured significant malnutrition, a testament to the horrors they faced. These images are deeply distressing—not only for the families welcoming their loved ones home but also for those still waiting for their hostages to return,” Dr. Mizrahi added.
After medical staff at Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center and Sheba Medical Center examined the freed hostages, they concluded that the men had lost around 30% of their body weight.
Upon his release, Or Levy, who was kidnapped at the Nova Music Festival, requested to meet with the parents of Aner Shapira, whom he last saw at the bomb shelter in Re’im. He mistakenly believed that Hersh Goldberg-Polin and Almog Sarusi had been released, but both had been murdered in captivity.
Netanyahu, who is currently visiting officials in Washington, D.C., released a statement welcoming the hostages’ release but expressing outrage over their condition.
“The Israeli government welcomes the hostages’ return, confirming to their families that they are now in the care of our forces,” the statement read.
Reacting to images of the freed hostages in their starved condition, Netanyahu added, “The shocking images that we have seen today will not go unaddressed.”
The PMO also stated, “Given the critical condition of the three hostages and Hamas’s repeated violations, Prime Minister Netanyahu has ordered that this not be overlooked and that appropriate action be taken.”
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