A newly released medical assessment from the Health Team of the Hostages and Missing Families Forum paints a devastating picture of the health crisis facing the 24 Israeli hostages who remain in Hamas captivity in Gaza, a year and a half after their abduction. The findings indicate a steep decline in both physical well-being and mental stability.
Compiled using accounts from recently freed hostages, publicly released Hamas footage, and input from family members, the report details severe hunger, lack of medical treatment for injuries, and ongoing psychological torment suffered by the captives.
Of the 24 hostages confirmed to still be alive, signs of life have been received from 20. The report states that at least eight individuals are struggling with serious wounds, and five are afflicted by chronic medical conditions or dangerous allergies. Most of them are being held in underground bunkers that lack sunlight, ventilation, or even the most basic human necessities.
“This is a preventable death—one that could be avoided through medical and psychological care, and their immediate release from captivity,” the report states bluntly.
Professor Hagai Levine, who leads the Health Team, issued a dire warning: “When examining the health of all the hostages together, a horrifying picture of life in hell is revealed. All of the hostages are subjected to inhumane physical and psychological torture and are at risk of death. Every one of them is a humanitarian case and must be rescued urgently.”
The report’s other major conclusions include:

• Severe physical decline in all hostages, including drastic weight loss, fatigue, muscle wasting, skin conditions, and digestive complications
• Around one-third are living with untreated injuries such as burns, shrapnel wounds, broken bones, or nerve trauma
• Several captives are dealing with unmanaged chronic illnesses like asthma, digestive disorders, and serious allergies
• Psychological trauma is widespread, with symptoms of depression, intense anxiety, emotional collapse, and hopelessness
• Many are enduring isolation, ongoing sleep deprivation, and deliberate humiliation
• Living conditions in the tunnels are described as suffocating, with stifling heat or cold, poor airflow, and unsanitary surroundings

{Matzav.com}