Benjamin Netanyahu Photo: Amir Cohen/ Reuters
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered “appropriate measures” to be taken after the release of three Israeli hostages who had been held by Hamas for 491 days and were released in an extremely emaciated state. Or Levi, Eli Sharabi and Ohad Ben Ami lost about 30% of their total weight, according to preliminary medical reports from Tel Aviv’s Suraski and Shiba hospitals, The Jerusalem Post reports.
At the time of the hostages’ release, Netanyahu was in Washington for talks with US officials.
“A crime against humanity”
The Forum of Families of Hostages and Missing Persons compared the images from the release to those of prisoners in Nazi concentration camps. “The horrific photographs of Ohad, Eli and Ora demonstrate the devastating impact of 491 days in Hamas captivity. These are people who have lived through real hell. This is a crime against humanity,” the Forum said.
In his post on X/Twitter, Israeli President Yitzhak Herzog also called the hostage situation a “crime against humanity ” and called for the immediate completion of the agreement on the return of all prisoners.
“The world should look at Ohad, Ora and Elie – they return after 491 days of horror, exhausted, exhausted, used as a cynical tool in the hands of inhumans,” Herzog wrote.
Political disputes in Israel
Opposition leader Yair Lapid sharply criticised Netanyahu, accusing him of not acting sooner.
“Have you just now found out that the conditions of the hostages were terrible? Didn’t you know this before? After all, all this information has been in the intelligence on your desk for months!” said Lapid.
In response to the criticism, the prime minister’s office said: “In view of the dire condition of the three hostages and the ongoing violations by Hamas, Netanyahu has ordered that this not be left unanswered and that appropriate action be taken.”
However, Lapid did not stop there: “What measures? And what will they change for those who have already experienced this horror? Why didn’t you order action earlier?”
The leader of the Democratic Israel party, Yair Golan, also criticised the authorities, saying: “We have no time for delay. Every additional day in captivity is a death sentence. Every hour of delay is a threat to life”.
He also spoke harshly of the Netanyahu government: “While our brothers and sisters are dying in captivity, Netanyahu, his wife and son are relaxing in luxury hotels. The government is lying, betraying the people and leading the country to another national disaster.”
