JERUSALEM: Israel gave a grim account Monday of seven freed hostages’ health, saying that despite a “show” by Hamas to present them as healthy and smiling, they faced a long recovery from their ordeal.
The seven women freed so far under Israel’s ceasefire deal with the Palestinian militant group were all malnourished, exposed to psychological suffering and wounded in various ways, said the deputy chief of the Israeli army’s medical corps, Col. Avi Benov.
Images of four Israeli soldiers — aged 19 and 20 — released in Gaza on Saturday by Hamas showed them looking healthy and smiling. They greeted people around them and clutched parting gifts in paper bags as they were handed over to the Red Cross.
But Benov said there was more to the story.
“They were given more food in the days before (their release), they were allowed to shower, they were given (new) clothes,” he said in a video call open to the media.
“This is part of the show organized by Hamas.”
Since the deal took effect on January 19, the militants have freed a total of seven Israeli hostages in exchange for 290 prisoners, all Palestinians except for one Jordanian.
But despite the hostages’ joy and relief at being reunited with their families, it “will take time” for them to recover, said Benov.
Hospitalized after their release, the women have been diagnosed with physical health problems including malnutrition, vitamin deficiencies and a metabolic system “in bad shape,” he said.
Some of the hostages had been held for the past eight months in tunnels, Benov said.
“For them it’s more complicated because light, sun and to be able to talk with someone are essential elements to be physically and mentally healthy,” he said, without naming them or giving further details.
All the hostages were “wounded one way or the other” when they were captured on October 7, 2023 in the Hamas attack that ignited the ensuing war, Benov said.
Their wounds were poorly treated in captivity, or not at all, he added.
Hostages who were freed during a previous truce in November 2023 have said some wounded captives were operated on with no anaesthesia.
But the most “complicated” wounds are psychological, said Benov.
“Even if they look happy, a fear remains. It’s hard for them to believe that this time around they’re in good hands, that it’s not another show organized by Hamas,” he said.
Benov declined to answer a question on whether the hostages had been victims of physical abuse, torture or sexual violence, saying it was important to “protect their privacy.”
“They will tell what they went through, if they want to, in a few weeks or a few months,” he said.
An Israeli health ministry report sent in December to the United Nations special rapporteur on torture said the hostages released in November 2023 had suffered various forms of physical and psychological violence.
It said freed hostages had reported being branded with hot irons, beaten, sexually assaulted, held in isolation and deprived of food.
Numerous ex-hostages showed signs of post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety and survivor’s guilt, the report said.
Benov said hostages set for release in the coming weeks would likely be in even worse health.
Under the deal, they include captive men over 50 or in poor health.
“We are expecting that the next hostages to be released, who are older, with some of them already ill when they were kidnapped, will come back in worse condition,” he said.
Freed hostages’ smiles deceptive, Israel’s military says
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Freed hostages’ smiles deceptive, Israel’s military says
Palestinian Authority warns Israel undermines international legitimacy by banning UNRWA
- Presidency spokesperson says Israel attempts to eliminate the refugee status for millions of Palestinians
- UNRWA ban will prevent millions from accessing health, education, and relief services
LONDON: The Palestinian Authority said on Wednesday that Israeli legislation prohibiting UNRWA — the UN agency that supports relief work for Palestinian refugees — from conducting activities in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem undermines international legitimacy.
Nabil Abu Rudeineh, the spokesperson for the Palestinian presidency, said that the banning of UNRWA is part of ongoing Israeli attempts to eliminate the refugee status for millions of Palestinians whose families fled their lands during the 1948 war in what became modern-day Israel.
He said that the Israeli decision coming into effect on Thursday will increase the suffering of nearly 6 million Palestinians who rely on UNRWA’s health, education, and humanitarian relief services in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem.
He added that such a decision challenges international legitimacy, international law, and the UN, the official Palestine News and Information Agency reported.
On Tuesday, the US Ambassador to the UN Dorothy Shea said during a Security Council meeting that her country supports “Israel’s sovereign decision.”
Philippe Lazzarini, the UNRWA chief, urged international leaders to block the Israeli decision that could undermine UN credibility and erode trust in the international community.
Israel says UN aid agency UNRWA ‘riddled’ with Hamas operatives
- “UNRWA equals Hamas. Israel has made public irrefutable evidence UNRWA is riddled with Hamas operatives,” government spokesman David Mencer said
- “Israel makes clear... if a state funds UNRWA, that state is funding terrorists
JERUSALEM: Israel alleged on Wednesday that the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) is full of Hamas operatives and reaffirmed its commitment to end ties with the agency this week.
“UNRWA equals Hamas. Israel has made public irrefutable evidence UNRWA is riddled with Hamas operatives,” government spokesman David Mencer told journalists as Israel prepares to cut ties with the agency on Thursday.
“Israel makes clear... if a state funds UNRWA, that state is funding terrorists.
“UNRWA employs over 1,200 Hamas members, including terrorists who carried out the October 7 massacre,” Mencer alleged. “This isn’t aid, it’s direct financial support for terror.”
Israel, backed by Washington, will cease contact with UNRWA from Thursday, a move that has drawn condemnation from aid groups as well as US allies.
UNRWA’s offices and staff in Israel play a major role in the provision of health care and education to Palestinians, including those living in Gaza, devastated by 15 months of war with Israel.
The agency says it has brought in 60 percent of the food aid that has reached Gaza since the war started with Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel.
But it has long clashed with Israeli officials, who have repeatedly accused it of undermining the country’s security.
UNRWA must cease its operations and evacuate all premises it operates in annexed east Jerusalem on Thursday, the Israeli envoy to the United Nations, Danny Danon, told the UN Security Council on Tuesday.
UN chief Antonio Guterres demanded that Israel retract its order.
“I regret this decision and request that the government of Israel retract it,” he said, stressing that UNRWA was “irreplaceable.”
The agency’s chief Philippe Lazzarini said UNRWA’s capacity “far exceeds that of any other entity.”
He called Israel’s actions against UNRWA a “relentless assault... harming the lives and future of Palestinians across the occupied Palestinian territory.”
Israel claims that a dozen UNRWA employees were involved in the deadly 2023 attack, and insists that other agencies can pick up the slack to provide essential services, aid and reconstruction — something the UN and many donor governments dispute.
A series of investigations, including one led by French former foreign minister Catherine Colonna, found some “neutrality related issues” at UNRWA — but stressed Israel had not provided evidence for its headline allegation.
Under President Donald Trump, who returned to the White House earlier this month, United States has thrown its weight behind the move by ally Israel, accusing UNRWA of overstating the impact of the decision.
Under Trump’s predecessor Joe Biden, Washington had supported UNRWA continuing its work but withheld funding at the insistence of Congress.
Palestinians in the war-devastated Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank, including east Jerusalem, are expected to be hardest hit by the Israeli ban.
UNRWA also provides support for Palestinian refugees around the Middle East.
Lebanon urges action from ceasefire committee to ensure Israel meets obligations
- Attacks resulted in 20 injuries in Nabatieh Al-Fawqa and 10 injuries on the Zawtar-Nabatieh Al-Fawqa road
- Najib Mikati said the aggression was an additional violation of Lebanese sovereignty and a blatant breach of the ceasefire arrangements and the provisions of Resolution 1701
BEIRUT: Najib Mikati, the caretaker prime minister of Lebanon, condemned two Israeli airstrikes on the city of Nabatieh on Tuesday evening.
The attacks resulted in 20 injuries in the strike on Nabatieh Al-Fawqa and 10 injuries from the attack on the Zawtar-Nabatieh Al-Fawqa road, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health.
The two attacks were the first acts of aggression since the ceasefire came into effect on Nov. 27. The ceasefire was extended, at Israel’s request and with the approval of the US, until Feb. 18.
Mikati said the aggression was “an additional violation of Lebanese sovereignty and a blatant breach of the ceasefire arrangements and the provisions of Resolution 1701.”
He contacted the American head of the five-member committee responsible for overseeing the implementation of the ceasefire agreement, Gen. Jasper Jeffers, urging him to adopt a “firm stance to ensure that Israel fulfills its obligations under international law.”
Since Sunday, residents of border areas have been returning to their towns ahead of the extension of the Israeli withdrawal deadline.
But Israeli forces that infiltrated the region responded by firing shots and using smoke and sound bombs, resulting in dozens of casualties and injuries.
The Israeli army said that it was “redeploying its forces to sites in southern Lebanon to enable the gradual effective deployment of the Lebanese army and to remove Hezbollah.”
The Israeli army said that the two airstrikes on Tuesday night in Nabatieh and its surroundings targeted “a truck and a vehicle belonging to Hezbollah that were transporting weapons in the areas of Shaqif and Nabatieh. The aim of the two raids was to remove a threat. The truck and the vehicle were targeted after the Israeli army monitored them while they were transporting weapons.”
The Israeli army in a statement said that it is “determined to operate in accordance with the agreements between Israel and Lebanon, despite Hezbollah’s attempts to re-enter southern Lebanon” and that it “will take action to eliminate any threats to Israel and its citizens.”
Ori Gordin, commander of the Northern Command in Israel, said: “Hezbollah has been defeated, and if it tries to respond, we will eliminate it and its leadership.”
On Wednesday, Israeli incursions into Lebanese airspace and southern villages continued to prevent civilians from returning to their towns.
Israeli army tanks tried to advance into the Mfailha area west of the town of Mays Al-Jabal, where Lebanese army vehicles and personnel confronted them.
The National News Agency reported that “Israeli enemy forces advanced to a distance of 100 meters from the Lebanese army’s position at the western entrance of Mays Al-Jabal” and that “a bulldozer cleared and raised barriers in the middle of the road after passing UNIFIL’s post, under the protection of a Merkava tank firing ahead of it.”
The Israeli army captured four citizens, including a woman, who were inspecting their home on the outskirts of the town of Maroun Al-Ras. It also opened fire on two other individuals, wounding them as they tried to advance in the town.
Israeli forces detained an ambulance in Maroun Al-Ras that was trying to transport the wounded. The Israeli army later released three of the four captured citizens.
An Israeli drone tried to obstruct the return of residents along the Shaqra-Majdal Selm-Hula road by dropping stun grenades on a gathering, injuring five civilians, while on the Taybeh-Qantara road, an Israeli vehicle fired shots into the air to intimidate residents.
On social media, videos showed Lebanese army personnel touring tunnels south of the Litani River that they had taken over from Hezbollah. The tunnels contained several trucks and manufacturing equipment, but no weapons.
The Lebanese military confirmed that “army units have moved into border areas south of the Litani following the withdrawal of the Israeli enemy, in coordination with the Quintet Committee overseeing the ceasefire agreement.”
The ceasefire agreement calls for “the dismantling of all military infrastructure and sites, as well as the confiscation of all unauthorized weapons that contradict these commitments, starting from the area south of the Litani.”
Meanwhile, the Israeli army continued its scorched-earth strategy by demolishing buildings in the town of Kfarkela and bulldozing homes, ancient trees, and infrastructure in Hula, Mays Al-Jabal, and Markaba.
Residents of Kfarkela set up a tent on the Khardali road at the Deir Mimas-Qlaiaa junction, announcing that they plan to stay there until the Israeli army leaves the area, allowing their return.
Lebanon’s Ministry of Health said Israeli attacks on civilians trying to enter Yaroun resulted in six injuries.
Mohammad Raad, head of Hezbollah’s parliamentary bloc, said: “The right of our people in Lebanon to confront the occupation and its attacks is a legitimate right that they can exercise at the time and place they deem appropriate.
“The chronic international disregard to Israel’s transgressions and persistence in aggression has led it to act with hostility, disregarding all laws.”
Meanwhile, member of the Kataeb parliamentary bloc, Salim Al-Sayegh, said: “The Israeli airstrike on Nabatieh indicates that the war with Lebanon has not ended; it remains an open war.
“If this truce collapses, we must face its consequences with both bitterness and realism. We have already started dealing with its consequences today, yesterday and possibly tomorrow.”
Al-Sayegh called for “a precise reading of the situation, as there is an attempt to drag Lebanon into an arena for conflict in light of the existing balance of power.
“I fear that this could turn into another round of violence that starts in the south, leading to chaos across Lebanon.”
He emphasized the need to deploy the Lebanese army and establish its authority in disputed areas, before resorting to resistance if the agreement is breached.
UAE president receives Hungarian prime minister in Abu Dhabi
- Leaders discuss strengthening bilateral relations
- Foreign ministers sign several memorandums of understanding
LONDON: Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, president of the UAE, welcomed Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban during his official visit to Abu Dhabi on Wednesday.
During their meeting at Qasr Al-Shati in Abu Dhabi, the two leaders discussed strengthening bilateral relations and enhancing cooperation in key areas such as economics, trade, investment and renewable energy.
Their discussions focused on promoting sustainable development and meeting citizens’ aspirations for progress and prosperity, the Emirates News Agency reported.
They observed the announcement of education, investment and renewable energy agreements aimed at enhancing cooperation between Abu Dhabi and Budapest and emphasizing the crucial roles of the UAE-Hungary joint economic committee and the political consultations committee, WAM added.
Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, UAE minister of foreign affairs, signed and exchanged memorandums of understanding with his Hungarian counterpart, Peter Szijjarto.
Hamas is set to free 3 Israelis and 5 Thais in next hostage release, Israeli official says
- The official named the Israel women as Arbel Yehoud, 29, Agam Berger, 19, and the man as Gadi Mozes, 80
- The official did not name the Thai nationals set to be freed
JERUSALEM: An Israeli official said Wednesday that Hamas will release three Israelis, including two women and an 80-year-old man, and five Thai nationals in the next hostage release, slated for Thursday.
The official named the Israel women as Arbel Yehoud, 29, Agam Berger, 19, and the man as Gadi Mozes, 80. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak on the record, said the hostages’ families had approved publication of their names.
The official did not name the Thai nationals set to be freed.
The release is part of a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas that has paused the war in Gaza in exchange for freedom for dozens of hostages held in the Palestinian territory and hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
Word of the next round of releases comes as hundreds of thousands of people in Gaza are streaming toward the north of the war-ravaged territory to return to what is left of their homes, after being told to evacuate the area earlier on in Israel’s war against Hamas.
