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Doctor Treating 4 Rescued Israeli Hostages Says They Endured ‘A Lot Of Abuse, Almost Every Day’
The four recently rescued Israeli hostages embracing loved ones, Ramat Gan, June 8, 2024. Photo: Israeli Army/Handout via Reuters
The doctor treating the four Israeli hostages who were rescued from Gaza over the weekend said they were abused in captivity “nearly every day.”
Dr. Itai Pessach, who works for Sheba Medical Center near Tel Aviv and is overseeing the treatment of the four rescued hostages, told CNN their time in captivity “left a significant mark on their health” despite looking normal externally.
“There have been periods where they got almost no food whatsoever,” he said. “They had no protein, so their muscles are extremely wasted, there is damage to some other systems because of that.”
According to initial assessments by Israel’s Health Ministry, the average hostage who was released during November’s temporary ceasefire and hostage deal lost between 17 and 33 pounds in just seven weeks.
“It was a harsh, harsh, experience, with a lot of abuse, almost every day,” Pessach added. ”Every hour, both physical, mental, and other types, and that is something that is beyond comprehension.”
This, combined with “medical neglect, being limited to space, not seeing the sun, and all of the other things, have [a] significant effect on health,” he said.
Further explaining the mental health aspect of being held hostage for such a long time, Pessach explained, “As time passes, hope of being released kind of decreases and you start wondering if this would ever end … losing that faith, I think, is where you get to the breaking point.”
Noa Argamani, Shlomi Ziv, Almog Meir Jan, and Andrey Kozlov were rescued from Hamas captivity on Saturday in a complex and dangerous mission taken on by the Israel Defense Forces’ (IDF) elite “Yamam” National Counter-Terrorism Unit. It specializes in hostage rescue missions and raids against enemy combatants in civilian areas.
In the raid, Chief Inspector Arnon Zamora was killed by Hamas terrorists and other Palestinians in the area after they opened fire on the IDF while trying to rescue the hostages. The mission was renamed “Operation Arnon” in honor of his sacrifice. The IDF called Zamora “a hero of Israel, a lover of the land and a protector.”
Previously released hostages have later detailed the abuse they faced while in Hamas’ hands.
In april, former hostages held by Hamas in Gaza recounted harrowing tales of sexual harassment and abuse in an emotional hearing at the Knesset, Israel’s parliament.
“As hard as it is to say, every girl there goes through sexual harassment one way or another,” said Mia Regev, who was freed in November after 50 days in captivity. Fighting back tears, she urged lawmakers to take action, saying, “Your job is to bring them back home.”
Days earlier, Amit Soussana, 40, from Kfar Aza, who was kidnapped on Oct. 7 and released as a part of the temporary ceasefire agreement, told the New York Times that she was sexually assaulted while a hostage.
She said one of her captors forced her to perform a “sexual act on him” while being held at gunpoint.
“He sat me on the edge of the bath. And I closed my legs. And I resisted. And he kept punching me and put his gun in my face,” Soussana recounted. “Then he dragged me to the bedroom.”
A family member of 12-year-old freed hostage Eitan Yahalom detailed the abuse he faced during his 52 days being held by Hamas.
“Whenever a child hostage cried, the terrorists would threaten them with rifles to silence them,” the family member said. “Perhaps I was naïve, but I wanted to hope that they were treating him well. I was wrong. They are monsters.”
Hamas-led Palestinian terrorists abducted over 250 people during their Oct. 7 massacre across southern Israel. There are currently over 100 hostages still in Gaza.
The post Doctor Treating 4 Rescued Israeli Hostages Says They Endured ‘A Lot Of Abuse, Almost Every Day’ first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Dozens of Terrorists Eliminated in Central Gaza, Weapons Seized from UN School in Raid
Some rises after an Israeli strike as Israeli forces launch a ground and air operation in the eastern part of Rafah, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, May 7, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Hatem Khaled
i24 News – Israel Defense Forces continue to operate in the Shejaiya area at the same time as fighting in the Rafah area and in the center of the Gaza Strip, the army said.
In the Shejaiya area, forces of the 98th Division attacked dozens of terrorist sites with the help of airstrikes from the Israel Air Force.
Over the weekend, Israeli soldiers raided a UN school in Shejaiya, where terrorists hid and stored weapons, grenades and valuable intelligence documents
This is yet another example of how Gazan terrorists use civilian structures to carry out attacks against Israeli forces pic.twitter.com/9oA9KLJehC
— i24NEWS English (@i24NEWS_EN) June 30, 2024
A UN school was raided where terrorists hid and stored weapons, grenades, and sensitive documents. In addition, a Hamas command center was discovered in a clinic.
Since Saturday, division forces located weapons, raided and captured terrorist compounds, and eliminated a number of terrorists.
IDF strikes Hamas target in Gaza
Israeli forces continue to operate in the Shejaiya area while continuing to push in Rafah and in central Gaza
The IDF attacked and destroyed a mortar launch position located within a tunnel shaft in Rafah pic.twitter.com/JqTACvuMys
— i24NEWS English (@i24NEWS_EN) June 30, 2024
The 162nd Division meanwhile continues in the Rafah area, eliminating a number of terrorists in various encounters and destroying tunnel shafts in the area.
The 99th Division 99 the center of the Gaza Strip carried out raids and destroyed terrorist infrastructure in the area.
Also on Saturday, an airstrikes destroyed a mortar launch position located inside a tunnel shaft in Rafah.
The post Dozens of Terrorists Eliminated in Central Gaza, Weapons Seized from UN School in Raid first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Israeli Government Approves Danny Danon as UN Ambassador
Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon at a briefing on Iranian aggression on May 6, 2020. Photo: Screenshot.
i24 News – The Israeli government unanimously agreed on Sunday to appoint Likud lawmaker Danny Danon as Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, succeeding the current ambassador, Gilad Erdan.
Danon, who previously held this position, will soon serve a second term. Danon’s appointment to this important position comes at a particularly crucial time, as he is expected to represent Israel on the international stage as the country faces challenges at home and abroad.
“I am proud to return to serve the State of Israel as Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations during this critical period,” he said on Twitter.
“As Israel faces battles on numerous fronts, each and every one of us must do his utmost within his skills and experiences,” he said in an earlier statement. “This is how I have behaved in the past, and this is how I will continue to behave in the future.”
I am proud to return to serve the State of Israel as Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations during this critical period.
With Israel confronting challenges on multiple fronts, it is imperative for each of us to contribute to the best of our abilities and experiences. This…
— Danny Danon דני דנון (@dannydanon) June 30, 2024
“In the face of the diplomatic terrorism that is rearing its head these days, I am forced to present the truth and hold my head high for the people of Israel and our common future here,” he concluded.
It is expected that Avihai Boaron, a former member of the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, will enter in place of Danon.
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‘Los Angeles Is Becoming Unsafe for Its Jewish Residents” Says Israeli Minister
Governor Newsom speaking at the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles. Photo Credit: Office of Governor Gavin Newsom.
i24 News – Amichai Shikli, Israel’s Minister of Diaspora and Antisemitism, has urgently called upon California’s governor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles’s mayor Karen Bass to address a concerning escalation of antisemitic incidents in the city.
In a strongly worded letter sent following a surge in antisemitic activities since October 7, 2023, Shikli expressed deep apprehension about the safety of Jewish residents in Los Angeles.
“Los Angeles is becoming more and more unsafe for its Jewish residents,” Shikli stated, emphasizing the urgent need for proactive measures to combat the rising tide of antisemitism.
He highlighted recent violent demonstrations on campuses that endangered Jewish students, alongside two serious incidents that he believes were mishandled by authorities.
One incident he pointed to was the tragic murder of Paul Kessler in November 2023 during a pro-Israel demonstration. Shikli criticized the court’s failure to classify the attack as a hate crime, stating, “It is shocking to see that the court did not recognize this as a hate crime. Paul was attacked for the sole reason that he was a Jew and a Zionist.”
Additionally, Shikli referenced an incident earlier in the week where an anti-Israel group disrupted an event at Adat Torah synagogue, resulting in an attack on Jewish attendees. Despite prior knowledge of the demonstration, law enforcement allegedly failed to take preventive actions to ensure the safety of Jewish residents.
Concerned about the city’s largest Jewish community in North America, Shikli urged immediate steps to enhance security around Jewish institutions and to ensure law enforcement is adequately trained to handle antisemitic crimes effectively. “At a time when antisemitism is at an all-time high, I urge you to implement measures to combat it,” he asserted.
The minister concluded his letter by proposing collaboration with local authorities and inviting the Los Angeles Police Department to participate in an international training program aimed at equipping security forces worldwide to combat antisemitism effectively.
The post ‘Los Angeles Is Becoming Unsafe for Its Jewish Residents” Says Israeli Minister first appeared on Algemeiner.com.