Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has stated that the images of the three hostages released by the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas will not go unanswered. The images, which show the hostages with a deteriorated and sore appearance, were released on Saturday. Previously, the Prime Minister’s office had condemned the “shocking spectacle” involving the hostages, Or Levi, Eli Sharabi, and Ohad Ben Ami.
The President of Israel, Isaac Herzog, also condemned the incident on the social network X, describing it as a “cynical and cruel show” and a “crime against humanity.” He expressed his concern for the hostages, stating that the world must acknowledge the suffering of Ohad, Or, and Eli, who spent 491 days in captivity, returning hungry, deteriorated, and sore, and were exploited in a cynical and cruel manner.
The families of the released hostages have also expressed their dismay at the disturbing state of the three individuals, as seen during a ceremony denounced by the forum of hostage and missing families. The organization emphasized that this incident is a clear and painful test, leaving no doubt that there is no time to lose in freeing the hostages.
In response to these accusations, a Hamas spokesman ensured that the Palestinian Islamist movement has done everything possible to guarantee the welfare of the hostages during their captivity. The spokesman claimed that the main threat to the hostages’ safety has been Israeli bombings over Gaza, stating that the resistance adheres to human values and the provisions of International Humanitarian Law in their treatment of prisoners. The spokesman added that great efforts have been made to preserve the lives of the hostages despite the Zionist bombings and attempts by Netanyahu to attack and eliminate them, as reported to the newspaper ‘Filaastin’, related to the Palestinian movement.
