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Release of Hostages from Gaza Reveals Harrowing Conditions

Gadi Moses, an 80-year-old hostages released from Hamas captivity in Gaza, survived for 15 months primarily on minimal sustenance, consisting of a piece of bread and an olive twice a day, according to his niece, Efrat Machikawa. She expressed disbelief at his endurance during such trying conditions, highlighting his significant weight loss.

According to Machikawa, her uncle was afforded limited hygiene and sanitation options, receiving only a small bowl of water every five days to wash himself, while he had to request toilet access. His time in captivity was marked by isolation, which Machikawa described as a form of torture, saying, “loneliness is another form of torture.”

To cope with the dire circumstances, Moses engaged his mind by solving math problems in his head and managed to walk up to 11 kilometers (about six miles) daily within the confines of a single room. Machikawa shared that even in the bleakest moments, he drew strength and hope from the possibility of reuniting with his family, stating, “The hope of reuniting with the family and worrying about us was the greatest power, was the only nutrition that he had for his soul.”

Moses was one of the 18 hostages released this year as part of a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, which included the release of 583 Palestinian prisoners. This ceasefire was established following Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which left approximately 1,200 people dead and resulted in 251 hostages being taken.

In response to the situation, Israel launched a military campaign that reportedly resulted in over 47,000 fatalities in Gaza, according to the health ministry in the region. These figures are considered credible by the United Nations.

As hostages begin to return after their long ordeal, stories of their conditions are surfacing. Reports indicate a lack of adequate food, with no fresh vegetables being provided to them, mirroring the conditions reported by residents in Gaza during the conflict. Two family members of former hostages mentioned to BBC their relatives returned looking considerably thinner.

Tal Wax, the niece of Keith Siegel, a 65-year-old American-Israeli hostage released recently, expressed mixed feelings of joy and concern upon his return. “We’re all very, very excited to have Keith back home, but very worried to see the state that he came back to us in,” she noted, emphasizing that despite being able to communicate and walk, he had lost significant weight and had endured considerable suffering in captivity.

Despite the challenges during his ordeal, Siegel’s niece affirmed he remains true to his values, highlighting, “Keith is very humane… even after all that he’s been through, he’s still living up to his convictions.” She indicated that the path to his recovery would be long but was optimistic about the future.

Machikawa recounted that the moment of her uncle’s liberation was fraught with fear, as he initially believed the crowd accompanying him in Gaza signaled his demise. After reuniting in Israel, she felt a wave of relief, managing to sleep for the first time since his abduction. “I feel like my tension is slowly melting,” she stated.

At the hospital, their emotional reunion was profound, highlighted by her uncle’s aspirations for his recovery and his desire to return to his agricultural pursuits. She expressed gratitude for the mediators, including Qatar and the United States, and the Red Cross personnel who facilitated the hostages’ release. Despite her joy, she conveyed a lingering concern for remaining hostages and expressed the hope for a more peaceful future, stating, “We must eradicate terror and work for a better neighborhood and region.”

Doron Steinbrecher, another released hostage, recently shared her story through a video statement, emphasizing the gradual nature of healing after such traumatic experiences. She dismissed her former identity tied to her captivity, declaring, “I’m no longer Hamas’s captive, and I’m home,” while extending solidarity to families still waiting for their loved ones to return.

The Bibas family recently welcomed Yarden back after his nearly 15-month captivity but mourns the absence of his wife, Shiri, and their two young sons. They expressed their pain in a statement, affirming, “A quarter of our heart has returned to us after 15 long months,” yet lamenting the incompleteness of their family reunion.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog reiterated his concern for the fate of the remaining hostages. The first six weeks of the ceasefire, which commenced on January 19, include plans for the release of 15 more hostages along with approximately 1,300 Palestinian prisoners, underscoring the ongoing complexity of the hostage situation and the broader conflict.

Source
www.bbc.com