Day 52

Release of the 4th group

After seeing the list names of the hostages who were to be released today, in the last stage of the hostage / prisoner exchange “deal” worked out with the Hamas terrorist organization, Israel complained that no mothers were included and that Hamas was again trying to separate families. After lengthy attempts to resolve certain issues, the list was revised to include 2 mothers and 9 children. All the children are separated from their fathers, who remain as hostages. All 11 of the hostages being released this evening are from Kibbutz Nir Oz, one of the communities around the Gaza envelope.

As this update was being written, the hostages finally arrived within the borders of Israel (11:10 p.m. Israel time).

50 days 5 floors underground

During the last 52 days, the whole nation was held hostage, in a certain sense, by the terrorists organizations, Hamas and “Palestinian” Islamic Jihad (“PIJ”). Faces and names of the actual hostages, ranging in age from 10 months to mid-80’s, were everywhere to be seen. Massive demonstrations were held throughout the land. Family members were interviewed. The crises of individuals became the crises of the nation, as all joined in expressing concern over the well-being of the hostages and voicing hope that they would soon be released and return home.

There was widespread dissatisfaction with the terms of the deal that was worked out with Hamas and, indeed, with the fact that we even sat and negotiated with those groups. Neverthelss, as the release of some of the hostages went from hope to fact, the nation rejoiced together with their families. Scenes of hostages being reunited with their families flooded the media. Even seasoned reporters were stirred with emotion, as they reported, not only about the atrocities that were committed on Black Saturday, but also as the first photos were shown of hostages being released to Israeli authorities and then to the tearful, but joyful, meetings in the hospial where the hostages were taken for initial examination.

The joy remains tempered with sorrow, as close to 80% of the hostages remain under the control of the Hamas and PIJ. The concerns for their well-being, the frustration  and fears of their families and friends and the anguish of the nation continues.

Reports of life in captivity trickle in, as released hostages relate their ordeals in the hands of murderers of babies and senior citizens. One of the doctors who treated a returned hostage described the conversation with her:

“She was sad and began to comprehend her new reality. She realized her home no longer existed, having been completely burned. She told me, ‘Talking about it doesn’t do me any good. Day by day, I only hear bad news.’ She also expressed sorrow over the loss of her kitchen, her cherished old recipe book, and her inability to cook for her children and grandchildren, something she loved to do. She repeatedly asked if there would ever be a day when she could wake up without thinking about what they had endured there.

“She mentioned that they weren’t physically abused, but they lacked medication and proper nutrition. Their diet mainly consisted of rice, canned hummus and beans, sometimes with salty cheese and pita, but nothing more. No fruits, vegetables, or eggs. As an elderly woman, she lost 12 kilograms [26.4 pounds]. From our conversation, I understood that they all tried to eat as little as possible because the beans and hummus caused constipation. They weren’t used to such a diet on a daiily basis. They were afraid to get sick and couldn’t care for themselves; they didn’t want painkillers for stomach aches, so they made sure to drink plenty of water. They had access to water.

“They were a group, as far as I understand…They were beaten with sticks when they were captured. It’s not easy to spend 50 days five floors underground in a room accessed through a long corridor.

“She said they didn’t bathe for 50 days and took care to clean the latrine. That was all they could do, as they didn’t have enough water. It’s sad to hear. Initially, it was hard for them to sleep at night due to stress and fear. Then they got or were given sleeping pills by their captors, which they divided into four parts to help as many people as possible sleep….

“Sleeping conditions were poor. They slept in beds pushed together, and it was crowded. They washed their clothes in the room, and drying them was difficult. They weren’t given light, only for two hours a day. When they asked for a pencil or pen to write and pass the time, their captors refused, fearing they might pass information through writing. So, they had no television or reading material, and spent time talking to each other.

“Their strength came from being together and caring for each other, and their personalities…Their mutual care, being there as a group, as a family, kept them together, along with the hope of seeing their families. They felt the captors wanted to keep them in good condition. The hardest days were the day they arrived and the day they left to return home.” (emphasis mine) The entire interview can be seen here .

Another elderly woman, who was released, was interviewed by a journalist for a leading television news station. Apparently, she was being held with a different group of hostages. In describing some of the conditions in captivity, she said: “The children slept on the floor; at some point, they stopped giving us food and we were hungry.”

More facts will be revealed as the hostages begin to slowly recover from their ordeals.

The leader of Hamas spoke to hostages.

Another news station reported this evening that according to one of the released hostages, Yahya Sinwar, the leader of Hamas and the person responsible for the October 7th massacre, spoke to Israeli hostages in a tunnel where they were being held.

According to the news report, Sinwar spoke to them in fluent Hebrew and told them they would not be harmed.

Sinwar was interrogated by Israeli Police in 1989, during which “he expressed a deep antipathy for the Palestinian people”. In 1987, he wanted to use Shifa Hospital as a “dummy target” in his desire to experiment with dropping explosive charges. Israeli defense and military analysts are concerned that Sinwar will exploit the humanitarian crisis in Gaza to advance the terror goals of Hamas.

Two-Day Ceasefire Extension: According to a statement from the Qatari foreign ministry, Israel and Hamas have agreed to extend the ceasefire for two more days. No further details were released at this point.

There was an incredible rainbow over Israel today. A 7-year-old child whose father is presently serving in the IDF, asked his mother about the rainbow (translated from Hebrew):

Rotem (7 years old): It’s too bad, I’m sure that daddy doesn’t see the rainbow at his work.

Mom: Of course he sees it, the rainbow is appearing throughout all Israel now.

Rotem: Can the hostages in Gaza also see it?

Bless, be blessed and be a blessing.

Marvin