Hunger and fear

Pediatricians present study on ex-hostages

Israeli pediatricians have presented an initial assessment of the physical and mental condition of former hostages. They examined 26 children and women who were abducted by Hamas in the Gaza Strip on October 7 and released in November and December.

They were between two and 78 years old. Seven of the children examined had been abducted without family members and had been captured separately from other hostages. What they had in common was considerable weight loss and poor nutritional status. The adults lost more body weight as they often gave their own rations to the children. They were mainly fed rice or white bread and little or no vegetables, protein or fat. All interviewees reported poor hygienic conditions and little access to water.

Death or kidnapping witnessed
During the attack, 14 of the 26 former hostages suffered injuries, particularly wounds caused by shrapnel. Most had witnessed the violent death or abduction of family members. All of them also reported psychological terror, isolation and intimidation. The younger children in particular suffered from nightmares on admission to hospital and were shy. Only after days did they begin to speak at a normal volume again. In captivity, they were only allowed to speak in a whisper.

The study was published in the specialist journal "Acta Paediatrica". The majority of previous research studies dealing with the health and psychological consequences of hostage-taking relate to armed forces or men.