class=”sc-cffd1e67-0 fmXrkB”>
They hope and wait. But for some relatives of the Israeli hostages kidnapped in the Gaza Strip, the fear may soon end. The first 13 people, including women and children, will be released at 3 p.m. (Swiss time). More will follow in the coming days.
After the Red Cross handed the hostages over to the Israeli army, they were taken to six hospitals. The Israeli Ministry of Health issued strict protocols for handling the hostages during and after the liberation. Blick provides an overview.
1
Each hostage is assigned a soldier
The military provides a soldier for every child or family. At first contact, soldiers must identify themselves and speak reassuringly to the child or adult. You may only touch it or take it by the hand with your permission. Otherwise, the soldier must explain exactly what he is doing and why. Furthermore, adult hostages may not want to be touched.
When the children, who are without one or both parents, ask questions like “Where’s Mom?” or “Where’s Dad?” “Soldiers should not answer these questions even if they know the answers,” the guidelines say. How should the soldiers respond instead? Suggested answers are like, “I’m sorry, honey. Don’t know. My job is to take you to Israel, to a safe place where people you know can answer all your questions.”
2
Hostages are given suitcases with clothes or toys
In the hospitals, the hostages and their families are housed in separate rooms. Your privacy must be protected. The media do not have access to the shielded areas during this phase. Patients can later decide for themselves whether they want to give interviews or not, Bar Siman-Tov, director of the Ministry of Health, told a Hebrew news channel.
Israeli authorities have already started collecting as much information as possible about the kidnapped people after the October 7 Hamas attack. The Forum for Hostages and Missing Families has compiled a medical file for each hostage, which is made available to the relevant hospitals. Small suitcases containing clothing, personal items and toys are sent ahead.
3
Female doctors document signs of rape and torture
Female doctors were instructed by Israel’s Ministry of Health to carefully examine women and children and then document any possible signs of rape or torture. If doctors find traces of this, they should immediately contact trained specialists. This will then decide whether an interview is possible at this time or whether there is a risk of further trauma.
Later, the liberated people and their families receive a personal social worker or psychologist. The professionals help the victims in the rehabilitation process. Hagai Levine of the Forum for Hostages and Missing Families told the Times of Israel that continuity of care is crucial.
“If a professional has supported the family of a hostage since the beginning of this ordeal, he must continue to support them until the end of the process. And if someone is going to work with a former hostage, that relationship has to last a long period of time,” he said.
4
Avoid overeating
Authorities also issued strict protocols for feeding the hostages. Because: The hostages will probably return to Israel malnourished. Guidelines aim to prevent refeeding syndrome, a potentially fatal condition caused by a malnourished person consuming too much food and fluids too quickly. This means that patients initially receive reduced nutrition, which is gradually increased.
Source: Blick
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
