The eyes of the entire world will again turn to Israel today as, after months of intense negotiations, the first phase of the hostage deal with Hamas is to be implemented.
This initial phase will see the release of 33 hostages over 42 days – the first to be released by Hamas since an initial deal in November 2023. The hostages include women, children, elderly individuals, and those with urgent medical needs.
Hostages, some of whom the world has not heard from or seen since they were kidnapped on October 7. Hostages who have been denied even basic access by Hamas to international aid organizations. One can only imagine the things that they have endured during their time in captivity.Â
We have some inclination into what the hostages experienced and what will happen after they return to Israel, thanks to a medical report by the health team of the Hostages and Missing Families Forum. The report presented a grim picture of survivors. Many experienced significant weight loss due to severe malnutrition. Poor sanitary conditions during captivity caused digestive issues and skin infections, while untreated physical injuries, such as fractures and nerve damage, led to long-term disabilities.
Psychological harm proved at least as severe as physical injuries. Captivity—marked by violence, isolation, and constant uncertainty—left lasting emotional scars. Many survivors suffer from PTSD, reporting intrusive thoughts, nightmares, hypervigilance, emotional numbness, and avoidance behaviors. Some describe feeling as though they are “still in Gaza.” These symptoms are especially acute among those separated from their families or subjected to violence.
Their families also bear the pain
Families, too, bear the weight of captivity’s aftermath. The report stressed the need for sustained, long-term support, cautioning against arbitrary cessation after one year. Survivors and their families often grapple with survivor’s guilt.Â
Returning to life in Israel poses its own challenges. Survivors were greeted with mass destruction and its aftermath, including displacement and loss following the October 7 massacre. Children, especially, face unique struggles. For 15 months, the world has prayed that the Bibas children, Kfir and Aryeh, are still alive, and there is hope that they will also be released in the deal. When their names appeared on an initial list on Friday – along with those of their parents, Shiri and Yarden – the world breathed a sigh of relief. But how can the Bibases, an entire family torn away from life for 15 months, begin to rebuild? Is Shiri even aware that her parents were murdered on October 7?
Many former hostages feel their anonymity has been stripped away, their identities now defined by their experiences. Public attention, while supportive, often intensifies feelings of alienation, making it even harder to reintegrate into normal life.
Noa Argamani, so long the face of the hostages, was rescued by Israeli security forces in time to be reunited with her mother, who was suffering from cancer. Noa’s mother passed away just three weeks after she was rescued. Most people struggle to come to terms with the loss of a parent and take years to deal with their grief. But Noa was not given the opportunity of most people. She has been campaigning worldwide since her rescue in June last year to help secure the release of the remaining hostages.
There is, of course, a human interest in telling the stories of the hostages and making sure the crimes of Hamas are shown to the world. We want to hear from the hostages themselves, we want to hear what they have endured, how they have endured, and their feelings upon release.
However, the world, and the media especially, has an important role to play in not overburdening the hostages. They must given the healthcare they need, for all physical and mental injuries. They must be given the time and space they need to recover for themselves.
There is also the issue of national security interests. The released hostages will, of course, be spoken to by those who take care of our national security. Things they have seen, things they have heard, and any information they can give the IDF, the Shin Bet, and other agencies could potentially have deep ramifications for how Israel deals (militarily) with the remnants of Hamas in the future.
But we must give them peace. We have prayed and fought for 15 long months for our citizens to come home. Now that they are, we must give them the peace they deserve and the peace they need to rebuild their lives.Â
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