300 Days in Captivity: Gaza Hostages Face Health Crisis
New report: ‘All hostages are humanitarian cases in imminent danger’
By Maayan Hoffman/The Media Line
“After 300 days in captivity, each additional day could be their last.”
So reads a report released on August 1. Some 300 days have passed since the Hamas massacre, during which the terror organization and Gazan civilians kidnapped over 250 people, including more than 115 who are still being held in the coastal enclave—elderly, women, a baby, and a toddler.
“All hostages are humanitarian cases in imminent danger,” the report, published by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum health team, states. “As time progresses, the number of survivors decreases sharply, potentially reaching a point where none remain alive.”
The authors explain that after 10 months, few hostages are expected to survive the harsh conditions of captivity, including starvation, dehydration, poor sanitation, exposure to infectious diseases, psychological trauma from abuse and isolation, untreated injuries, and lack of sufficient air and light.
“It can be said with high certainty that everyone who was captured and remains alive is now suffering from various diseases and symptoms that will worsen to the point of endangering their lives if they are not released from captivity soon,” explained Dr. Amir Blumenfeld, former head of the trauma branch in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Medical Corps.
The authors urged the immediate release of the hostages to prevent further harm and start their recovery process. They also called for the return of the deceased for proper burial, which they said was the only way for the families to find closure and begin healing.
“Israeli decision-makers must not deny the proven fact that the hostages not only suffer indescribably but also die in captivity,” the authors wrote.
The report is based on a risk assessment using information from released hostages and supported by various studies on prolonged captivity. The risks highlighted in the report stem from both pre-existing medical conditions and the harsh conditions of their captivity and include complications from chronic illnesses; visual, hearing, and mobility impairments; nutrition and digestive problems; risk of contracting an infectious disease; and potential complications specific to women, such as enduring a pregnancy without medical supervision and care.
Prof. Yuval Heled, former chief physiologist in the IDF Medical Corps, told The Media Line that the health impacts of captivity vary for each hostage. Factors such as age, pre-existing health conditions, injuries sustained during capture, and the quality of nutrition all play a role in their situations.
“There is a spectrum of normal responses,” Heled said.
Specifically, the report noted that prolonged confinement can harm the cardiovascular system by altering heart rate and blood pressure. Studies show that confinement and lack of exercise can lead to decreased heart muscle mass and cardiac output changes, harming blood volume and vascular function. It can also cause muscle thinning, reduced bone density, and joint stiffness.
The authors highlighted that changes in eating patterns and poor sanitary conditions can cause digestive problems, such as constipation, diarrhea, or even infectious diseases of the digestive system. Lack of food can lead to extreme weight loss.
The report stated that isolation and confinement can disrupt hormonal regulation, affecting stress hormones like cortisol, reproductive hormones, and metabolic hormones. This disruption can lead to changes in glucose metabolism, lipid profiles, and insulin sensitivity.
Blumenfeld specifically examined the effects of being in a tunnel, noting potential respiratory issues due to limited ventilation and poor air quality.
He also highlighted that lack of light exposure, combined with deficiencies in vitamins A and C, can impair vision, spatial awareness, and motor coordination, potentially causing irreversible disability. Additionally, Blumenfeld warned that prolonged immobility could lead to dangerous blood clots, obstructing blood flow to vital organs, resulting in tissue death and fatality.
“It is worth noting that some of these problems were found in the hostages who were returned as part of the first deal, and it is reasonable to estimate that the situation of those who remained in captivity worsened during the 250 days that have passed since the first transaction,” Blumenfeld wrote.
Heled added that the harsh conditions in Gaza could put the hostages at risk of contracting infectious diseases. On Tuesday, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that polio likely has infected people in the Gaza Strip. This announcement came after Gaza’s health ministry declared a polio epidemic late Monday following the discovery of the virus in sewage samples, although no human cases have been reported yet.
The WHO sent more than a million vaccines to Gaza to prevent children from being infected; it is unlikely the hostages will benefit from those vaccines. Heled emphasized to The Media Line the lack of adequate medical care the hostages have received since their capture, which he said would only exacerbate health problems and lead to increased mortality and serious long-term health consequences.
The International Committee of the Red Cross has been barred from visiting or treating the hostages. Additionally, medications collected by Israel for delivery to the captors were likely never received.
Some of the hostages suffered physical and sexual injuries during their abduction. Even a relatively minor injury can become complicated quickly when untreated, the researchers said.
Four other medical professionals—Prof. Ilana Kremer, Prof. Ofrit Shapira-Berman, Maya Shachar, and Dr. Ran Peled—focused on the psychological impact of captivity, which they said “creates an enormous emotional load.”
“Hostages suffer from a constantly disturbed rollercoaster of emotions, oscillating between fleeting hope and deep despair,” they wrote in the report. “The conditions of captivity—characterized by misinformation, hunger, poor hygiene, and neglected injuries—intensify this agitation.”
They added the absence of a significant reduction of sensory stimuli can cause hallucinations, disorientation, and anxiety.
A special section of the report looks at the potential health challenges faced by those over the age of 65 in captivity, who likely already suffer from pre-existing chronic and other diseases, such as high blood pressure, heart disease, or diabetes.
“Neglect of medical care has serious consequences, As illustrated by cases such as Alma Avraham, 84, who was released in critical condition after 50 days in captivity, and Aryeh Zalmanovich (Zalman), who died in captivity,” wrote Prof. Mark Clarfield.
Finally, the report stressed that the health of the families of the hostages has also been harmed.
“These families live in constant fear for the fate of their loved ones, who are enduring inhumane conditions and prolonged uncertainty,” the report said. “The immense and ongoing worry, feelings of isolation, helplessness, and rage are an enormous burden on the soul, which can injure it. After 300 such days, containing extreme worry coupled with a growing sense
of helplessness, mental burnout is likely to injure more and more.”
In April and June, Dr. Einat Yehene and Prof. Hagai Levine conducted an in-depth qualitative study involving 18 family members of hostages. Their findings revealed significant functional, mental, and physical difficulties among the families, driven by ongoing uncertainty, traumatic stress, and the relentless struggle to bring their loved ones home.
The authors explained that the physical health of family members has significantly declined as well due to neglect of essential health habits and lack of medical monitoring. They report chronic sleep issues, eating disorders, new or worsening chronic and nervous diseases, and an increase in harmful behaviors such as smoking and various addictions.
Moreover, many family members have not worked since the abduction, and those who have returned to work struggle with concentration, long-term commitments, and feeling detached from daily reality.
“It is urgent to release the hostages; otherwise, they will die from health problems—another way to murder them by our awful enemies, unfortunately,” Heled told The Media Line.
Levine, who helped spearhead the report, said the team released it on the 300-day mark to raise awareness.
“We wanted to pause on this day and reflect on the basic physical, mental, and biological situation,” Levine told The Media Line. “There is a clear and present danger. In several weeks, the vast majority of people we can save today will be dead. Every day could be their last day.
“How long can a hostage survive in captivity?” Levine continued. The team tried to answer that question with the report. The answer, he said, “is that we do not have any more time.”
PHOTO- Hagai.jpeg – Prof. Hagai Levine. (Courtesy)
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