After several months of high hopes and endless anxiety, the Israeli hostages held by Hamas militants in Gaza have finally been freed. Unfortunately, their freedom only came after suffering horrific conditions with little food, beatings, and lice.
Testimonies from the freed hostages have recently emerged which detail the poor conditions these individuals faced during their imprisonment. Out of 11 total hostages kidnapped by Hamas, only seven were released. Of those seven, two spoke to Israeli media outlets about their experience.
The two hostages, identified as brothers Aviad and Abed Abu-Reem, described their time in captivity as difficult and inhumane. Aviad Abu-Reem told reporters that they were regularly deprived of food and given only a small piece of bread and soup for meals. Furthermore, they were denied access to showers or basic hygiene needs.
Abed Abu-Reem reported that they were not only denied access to food, but also to physical and mental health services. He noted that they were forced to sleep on the floor and go months without sleep. The brothers were also reportedly subjected to daily beatings and exposure to lice.
This disturbing testimony from two of the freed hostages is concerning, as it indicates the horrendous treatment the prisoners encountered while held captive by Hamas militants. It is clear that the Israeli authorities have a lot of work ahead in order to ensure that such human rights abuses are not repeated in the future.
In order to ensure that these human rights abuses do not continue to occur, authorities must take steps to increase monitoring of organizations such as Hamas and enforce legal consequences on those responsible for these violations. Furthermore, authorities must ensure that the basic human rights of all individuals are respected and protected in order to improve conditions in the region.
The testimonies of those recently freed from Hamas custody are a stark reminder of the need to increase awareness around human rights and the abuse that takes place in many parts of the world. It is hoped that through increased awareness and legal action, these human rights abuses will one day come to an end.