On October 7, in addition to torturing, raping, mutilating, and murdering 1,200 Israelis, Hamas terrorists kidnapped 251 Israelis, aged from 8 months to 82 years. There was a single freeing of 105 hostages in November in exchange for Palestinians who had been in Israeli jails. As of now, 116 hostages have been returned alive to Israel, consisting of the 105 released in a prisoner exchange deal, four more released by Hamas unilaterally, and seven rescued by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). Three Israeli hostages who managed to escape their captors were killed by the IDF, whose soldiers had mistaken them for terrorists. 132 hostages ought to still be alive and held in captivity, with that number calculated as follows: 251 hostages kidnapped on October 7, with 116 hostages returned (105 freed in a prisoner exchange, four others released unilaterally, seven rescued by the IDF), and three accidentally killed by the IDF. That means Hamas should still have 132 hostages, but the Israelis believe no more than 100 may still be alive; some Israelis think the figure is lower still, about 80. For quite clearly, Hamas has been killing them. No one wants to talk about this now, lest Hamas be provoked into not agreeing to a hostage deal. Nor will they talk about these murders, because there is no proof, only deep suspicion among Israelis, But eventually, once a ceasefire is achieved and “all the hostages” are returned, the awful truth will emerge.
Meanwhile, the Israelis have released information on the medical condition of twenty-six hostages who were released in the November swap. As you might expect, the hostages were not well treated. More on the difficult conditions they endured while being held captive in Gaza can be found here: “Israeli hospital documents damage to health of freed hostages,” by Joshua Marks, JNS, August 11, 2024:
Schneider Children’s Medical Center of Israel in Petach Tikvah has documented the medical conditions of 26 women and children released from Hamas captivity in Gaza.
In the report, the details of which were published in Maariv for the first time on Sunday, experts at the hospital summarized the hard conditions suffered by those held captive by the terrorist group following the Oct. 7 attack on the northwestern Negev that killed some 1,200 people. The terrorists took around 250 people back to Gaza, 115 of whom remain there after 310 days.
Around 50 Israeli women and children were released in the November 2023 hostage deal; the study examined the medical records of 19 children between the ages of 2 and 18 and seven women between the ages of 34 and 78, who were all hospitalized at Schneider….
All of the abductees suffered from starvation and poor nutrition. Fifteen of them displayed significant weight loss up to 15% of their body mass. According to the abductees, their diet consisted of a small amount of rice and white bread without vegetables, protein and fat….
Lab tests showed high levels of the creatine phosphokinase (CPK) enzyme, indicating significant muscle damage, possibly from sitting for prolonged periods.
According to the blood tests, around half of the patients suffered from tick-borne fever, Q fever from inhaling dust or coming into contact with sick animals and murine fever caused by bacteria. These infections can cause neurological problems, breathing difficulties and damage to joints and muscles, and are sometimes life-threatening.
Yes, these Israeli women and children were treated terribly. All of them suffered from starvation and malnutrition. Their diet consisted solely of small amounts of rice and white bread. Several had been kept underground, in the dark, and suffered Vitamin D deficiencies…Many suffered as well from tick-borne illnesses. Many had lice and insect bites. Asthma patients had attacks but no inhalers were provided. Many suffered muscle damage and muscle pain from being kept for long periods in a sitting position. And there were many more manifestations of ill treatment by their jailers, including repeated rape, and gang rape, of women and girls held hostage. But what did you expect? This is Hamas.
Will the mainstream media report on this horrific mistreatment of the hostages that has left so many of them so sick? Of course not. Did the media pay much attention to the rape, gang rape, and sexualized torture of hostages by Hamas, that Pramila Patten reported on to the UN last March? No, they were too busy denouncing Israel for the “genocide” it was accused of committing in Gaza.
Let’s see if this latest medical report on what 26 of the women and children freed last November will stir any outrage outside of Israel. Will the EU’s Josep Borrell denounce Hamas after reading this report? Will the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres bring this report on the mistreatment of Israeli hostages to the attention of “international community”? Don’t be silly.
Cynthia says
This means that any survivors will be in even worse condition. The West is so hypocritical in its reporting of Israel and their excusing of Hamas. Every atrocity they lay on Israel was committed by Hamas and by blood thirsty Islam.
We should be praising Israel, not demonizing those who are trying to keep the barbarians at the gate. We’re next!
rick says
Males of military age are tortured or simply killed. Females of military age are sexually abused or raped. These Hamas living in the tunnels get their kicks from Israeli held females. It’s either that or a willing fellow Hamas male.
Walter Sieruk says
The horrible reality is that taking into account the brutal cruel vicious horrendously evil Islamic character of the jihadists of Hamas, many of those hostages who had been kidnapped had also been murdered.
Such horrific treatment of those hostages is of no surprise when taking into account the demonic brutal cruel religion that Hamas has its foundation on, which of course is Islam, Surah 5:33. 9:123.
For there is absolutely no limits to the vile, heinous horrifically murderous wickedness that the jihadists of Hamas had committed and will continue to commit because of because of their demonic and malice-filled religion that is Islam.
Walter Sieruk says
Those vile and heinous brutal and cruel sexual atrocities committed against the young female Jewish hostages by the jihadists of Hamas are a result of the teachings, doctrines , of Islam with it’s Quran as found in Surah 2;191. 4:48. 9:5,123 47;4] do cause and inspire such systematic heinous vile and despicable sex crimes
Those jihadists Hamas by their brutal murderous crimes committed against those helpless hostages they had kidnapped is the result of their religion which is Islam. Surah 4:89. 47:4. 9:123
Some naïve Westerners who don’t know and understand about the bloody and deadly essence of Islam’s jihad , might be shocked and stop and wonder “Just how can those jihadists of Hamas be so totally unconscionably evil to commit those horrendous sex vile heinous affront and hideous crime, actions ? “
The answer to that question is found in the Bible, which informs its reader that there are some men who are completely horrifically callous heartless and unfeeling because they have had “their conscience seared with a hot iron.” First Timothy 4:2. [K.J.V.]
For them, that “hot iron” is Islam.
Walter Sieruk says
Nothing else any be expected from the jihadists of Hamas but viciously cruel treatment and murder of many of the hostages who had been kidnapped by Muslim terrorists of that demonic jihad entity Hamas.
In other words, the jihadists of Hamas kidnapped tortured and then murdered them.
The reason why those jihadists are so very vicious and murderous is because of their jihad terror organization has of the origin in the false religion of Islam.
Therefore the those demonic vicious malice- filled deadly actions of jihadists of Hamas are the results or outcome of the fruits of jihad –minded Muslims who are completely devoted to Islam with its violent and its death inflecting jihad, Surah 2:191. 4:89. 9 : 5. 123. 47:4.
This is reflection of the teaching of Jesus, Who taught, “By their fruits ye shall know them.” Matthew 7:20. [K.J.V.]
Walter Sieruk says
Those blood shedding dangerous kidnapping raping and torturing jihadists of Hamas with their vicious death and misery inflecting vile and heinous demonic evil are so horrendously wicked that they are the mirror reflection of the most despicable horrific villains describe in the Bible.
Which reads “There feet are swift to shed blood; destruction and misery are in their ways; and the way of peace have they not known.” Romans 3:15-17, [K.J.V.]
SC says
IMHO. Hamas and for that matter Hezbollah when caught should not be treated as prisoners of war with rights. By attacking without notice, kidnapping civilians ( not the same as taking prisoners), intentionally targeting kids. They have forfeit all rights under any convention. They refuse to behave like civilized humans therefore they should be treated as the sick animals they have become and destroyed on sight along with those that harbor them.
Tony Rice says
I am not aware of any Muslim country or even the Muslim Council of Britain condemning the taking AND KEEPING of the hostages, so that tells us what? Agreement with, thus complicit with what is the a most dastardly behaviour imaginable. And certainly no offer to intervene . The rest of the world should realise what also awaits them. Has the U N offered to intervene and demand release of the hostages . Hamas must be blasted off the face of the earth, not worthy of existence. Imagine the international uproar if a Christian country or Israel did the same. And yet people protest in favour of the Palestinians who should revolt against their leaders.
Tom Lessing says
Fancy that. The EU’s Josep Borrell and the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres are paving their own way to hell in hellish silence.
Naja says
I would like to see the IDF drop into Qatar, kidnap the leaders of Hamas and hold them hostage in an undisclosed location.
Then start making Ayotollah’s and Immams disappear.
No claims, just silence as to their disappearance. They can blame it on Allah.