Israel’s final 20 living hostages could face lifelong health issues, experts have warned, after enduring more than 700 days in captivity in Gaza.
The current condition of all the hostages — men aged between 21 and 48 — is unknown after they were returned yesterday following the signing of the Gaza peace deal.
But many have already revealed they were severely isolated, threatened with weapons and starved to near-death during their time in captivity.
Israel’s foreign ministry yesterday also confirmed that Alon Ohel, 24, had suffered serious injuries, including the loss of vision in one eye.
Some of the freed hostages appeared gaunt and weak, and doctors have now warned of their complex psychological and medical needs.
Experts at hospitals that have treated previous hostages have also stressed that rehabilitation is a long process and that complications may arise months or even years later.
In one of the worst cases, hostage Avinatan Or, 32, was held in near-total isolation for two years, not meeting another kidnapped person until he was released.
Avinatan, who was kidnapped alongside his girlfriend Noa Argamani, 28, from the Nova Festival, was also severely starved.
Local media reported that he had lost between 30 and 40 per cent of his body weight.
Malnutrition is a significant risk factor for ill health.
As well as low energy and mood, research shows it leads to loss of muscle mass, increasing the risk of falls and reduced mobility, and poor immunity, leading to a greater chance of infections.
The almost total loss of subcutaneous fat — just beneath the skin — can lead to pressure sores and delayed wound healing.
It can impact dental health too, leading to increased cavities, enamel defects, and gum disease.
Deficiencies in adults can weaken gums and teeth, and make oral infections more severe.
Meanwhile, living for prolonged periods in darkness throws the internal body clock out of sync impacting sleep, digestion, body temperature and hormones.
Studies have suggested this combination increases the risk of heart rhythm disorders and strokes.
Experts, however, have stressed the hostages will need both medical and psychological care following their traumatic ordeal.
One study, published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, on former prisoners of war from the 1973 Yom Kippur War also found that captivity ‘produces deep and long-lasting psychological, somatic and functional injuries.’
Former prisoners of war ‘carry their wounds for a very long time,’ the researchers said.
Each hostage is accompanied by a dedicated team of doctors, nurses, specialists, psychologists, and social workers, medical officials confirmed yesterday.
Following their release, the mother of one hostage, Matan Angrest, revealed he had experienced ‘very severe torture’.
The now-22-year-old soldier was taken from his military tank in southern Israel.
Anat Angrest told local media that he was ‘alone for a long period, under special guard’, adding that the young soldier had told her he refused to break for the ‘monsters’ who kept him captive.
While kept in tunnels, Matan was shown very little news from his captors, ‘and for the rest of the time, they suffered severe psychological warfare’, she added.
Earlier this year, speaking before the release of Israel’s first hostages, Amir Blumenfeld, a former chief of the Trauma branch of the Israeli army, said ‘the most difficult problem will be mental health’.
He also predicted drastic weight loss of up to ‘half or a third’ of original body weight.
Psychological recovery is likely to take years for most of the hostages, and may even prove impossible for some, he added, while mental health professionals will need to expect to be ‘confronted with symptoms and issues that they are not familiar with’.
In a statement released yesterday, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum said: ‘The process does not end with release — it begins with it.
‘After two years under inhumane conditions of starvation, deprivation of medical care, isolation, violation and abuse, they now need medical care, close supervision, and peace.
‘Above all, they need the restoration of their identity as people, not as “hostages”.
‘Their bodies and minds have endured prolonged injury, and their treatment must take place in a safe, calm, and respectful environment.’
