RSS
Israel’s Hospitals Prepare to Treat Hostages Being Released in Ceasefire Deal
Supporters of the kidnapped Israeli hostages hold torches at a protest to demand a deal to bring every hostage home at once, amid Gaza ceasefire negotiations, in Tel Aviv, Israel, January 15, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun
Israel’s leading hospitals are preparing to receive and treat the hostages who are set to be released from Hamas captivity as part of the ceasefire and hostage-release deal agreed upon on Wednesday between Israel and the Palestinian terrorist organization.
American Friends of Rabin Medical Center (AFRMC) said in an email on Thursday to supporters of the Rabin Medical Center in Petah Tikva that doctors at several of the hospital’s departments and similarly those at the Schneider Children’s Medical Center, which is located on Rabin Medical Center Campus, are on “high alert for the hopefully imminent release of the captives.”
“While the country waits with bated breath for their release, Rabin Medical Center has all hands on deck to prepare for the highest quality of care and treatment for these Israeli hostages,” AFRMC said.
According to Israel’s Health Ministry, the hostages will be treated at Sheba Medical Center, Sourasky Medical Center, Rabin Medical Center (including the Schneider Children’s Medical Center), or Shamir Medical Center. Hostages who need immediate treatment in serious conditions may also be treated at Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba and Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkelon. Dr. Hagar Mizrahi, head of the Health Ministry’s medical division, noted that it has not been decided yet which hospital will receive the hostages first and that the decision will be made based on a hostage’s conditions, according to Israel Hayom.
The Israel Defense Forces said “Wings of Freedom” is the name given to the Israeli military’s preparations for the return of the hostages as part of the new ceasefire agreement.
Concerns regarding the variety of serious conditions that the released hostages might have include infectious diseases, lack of nutrition, and physical injuries.
“Lack of adequate water, food, air, and sunlight for such an extended period of time will also greatly affect these hostages recovery,” AFRMC added. “Many elements of their state of health, both mental and physical, is still in question. The hospital is preparing for a wide range of wounds, injuries, and ailments, as well as the psychological and emotional impact of being held hostage for over 14 months.”
The Schneider Children’s Medical Center is one of the few hospitals in Israel that focuses on treating the physical and psychological injuries of children. The Rabin Medical Center has one of the only rehabilitation centers with a full-time specialized medical staff that is dedicated to treating victims of war. The hospital also has an emergency trauma fund accepting donations from the public that will help support trauma and psychological treatment for returning hostages; emergency orthopedic surgery equipment and supplies; trauma training for medical staff members; and rehabilitation equipment and supplies.
In November 2023, Israeli Health Ministry officials created guidelines for treating hostages returning home who were abducted by Hamas-led Palestinian terrorists during the deadly massacre in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. That protocol has “since been further developed” after the initial group of released hostages were treated by the Rabin Medical Center, AFRMC said. The guidelines include a “timeline of hospitalization, re-introduction to society, family visits, and psychological care.”
A senior level social services manager at a central hospital in Israel, who has treated hostages previously released by Hamas since the start of the Israel-Hamas war in 2023, explained to Ynet and Yedioth Ahronoth how this hostage release will be different than previous ones.
“We understand that we’re dealing with unprecedented challenges,” she said. “The hostages from the previous deal were held for a relatively short period, but this time we’re talking about people who have been in captivity for a year and three months. Their psychological and physical state is likely far more complex. It’s reasonable to assume they’ve endured greater despair, harsher conditions, and more severe impacts on their physical health.”
“We’re aware that they will likely be exposed to an overwhelming amount of information, and based on past experiences, we’ve learned that hostages often return with misinformation or under the influence of psychological warfare,” she added. “Therefore, we anticipate a process of reconnecting with reality but approach it gradually and in a way tailored to their needs.”
Hamas and Israel reached a ceasefire-hostage exchange deal that is set to take effect on Sunday, according to senior officials who helped broker the agreement. During the first phase of the deal, Hamas will over six weeks release 33 of the 98 remaining hostages who have been help captive in the Gaza Strip for 15 months. In exchange, Israel will free hundreds of Palestinians prisoners, who were largely detained for involvement in terrorist activities.
Hamas is expected to free three hostages on the first day of the ceasefire and then another four on the seventh day. The US-designated terrorist organization will then make weekly releases and by the end of the phase, all living women, children, and older people held hostage in Gaza should be freed. The deal also includes the withdrawal of Israeli soldiers from the Gaza Strip.
The post Israel’s Hospitals Prepare to Treat Hostages Being Released in Ceasefire Deal first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
RSS
Rubio Heads to Israel Amid Tensions Among US Middle East Allies
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks to members of the media, before departing for Israel at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, US, September 13, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Nathan Howard/Pool
US President Donald Trump’s top diplomat, Marco Rubio headed to Israel on Saturday, amid tensions with fellow US allies in the Middle East over Israel’s strike on Hamas leaders in Qatar and expansion of settlements in the West Bank.
Speaking to reporters before departure, Rubio reiterated that the US and President Donald Trump were not happy about the strikes.
Rubio said the US relationship with Israel would not be affected, but that he would discuss with the Israelis how the strike would affect Trump’s desire to secure the return of all the hostages held by Hamas, get rid of the terrorists and end the Gaza war.
“What’s happened, has happened,” he said. “We’re gonna meet with them. We’re gonna talk about what the future holds,” he said.
“There are still 48 hostages that deserve to be released immediately, all at once. And there is still the hard work ahead once this ends, of rebuilding Gaza in a way that provides people the quality of life that they all want.”
Rubio said it had yet to be determined who would do that, who would pay for it and who would be in charge of the process.
After Israel, Rubio is due to join Trump’s planned visit to Britain next week.
Hamas still holds 48 hostages, and Qatar has been one of the mediators, along with the US, trying to secure a ceasefire deal that would include the captives’ release.
On Tuesday, Israel attempted to kill the political leaders of Hamas with an airstrike on Doha. US officials described it as a unilateral escalation that did not serve American or Israeli interests.
The strike on the territory of a close US ally sparked broad condemnation from other Arab states and derailed ceasefire and hostage talks brokered by Qatar.
On Friday, Rubio met with Qatar’s Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani at the White House, underscoring competing interests in the region that Rubio will seek to balance on his trip. Later that day, US President Donald Trump held dinner with the prime minister in New York.
Rubio’s trip comes ahead of high-level meetings at the United Nations in New York later this month. Countries including France and Britain are expected to recognize Palestinian statehood, a move opposed by Israel.
Washington says such recognition would bolster Hamas and Rubio has suggested the move could spur the annexation of the West Bank sought by hardline members of the Israeli government.
ON Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signed an agreement to push ahead with a settlement expansion plan that would cut across West Bank land that the Palestinians seek for a state. Last week, the United Arab Emirates warned that this would cross a red line and undermine the U.S.-brokered Abraham Accords that normalized UAE-Israel relations in 2020.
RSS
Netanyahu Posts Message Appearing to Confirm Hamas Leaders Survived Doha Strike
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a Plenum session of the Knesset, Israel’s Parliament, in Jerusalem, June 11, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun
i24 News – In a statement posted to social media on Saturday evening, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the Qatar-based leadership of Hamas, reiterating that the jihadist group had to regard for the lives of Gazans and represented an obstacle to ending the war and releasing the Israelis it held hostage.
The wording of Netanyahu’s message appeared to confirm that the strike targeting the Hamas leaders in Doha was not crowned with success.
“The Hamas terrorists chiefs living in Qatar don’t care about the people in Gaza,” wrote Netanyahu. “They blocked all ceasefire attempts in order to endlessly drag out the war.” He added that “Getting rid of them would rid the main obstacle to releasing all our hostages and ending the war.”
Israel is yet to officially comment on the result of the strike, which has incurred widespread international criticism.
RSS
Trump Hosts Qatari Prime Minister After Israeli Attack in Doha
Qatar’s Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani attends an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council, following an Israeli attack on Hamas leaders in Doha, Qatar, at UN headquarters in New York City, US, Sept. 11, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz
US President Donald Trump held dinner with the Qatari prime minister in New York on Friday, days after US ally Israel attacked Hamas leaders in Doha.
Israel attempted to kill the political leaders of Hamas with an attack in Qatar on Tuesday, a strike that risked derailing US-backed efforts to broker a truce in Gaza and end the nearly two-year-old conflict. The attack was widely condemned in the Middle East and beyond as an act that could escalate tensions in a region already on edge.
Trump expressed annoyance about the strike in a phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and sought to assure the Qataris that such attacks would not happen again.
Trump and Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani were joined by a top Trump adviser, US special envoy Steve Witkoff.
“Great dinner with POTUS. Just ended,” Qatar’s deputy chief of mission, Hamah Al-Muftah, said on X.
The White House confirmed the dinner had taken place but offered no details.
The session followed an hour-long meeting that al-Thani had at the White House on Friday with Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
A source briefed on the meeting said they discussed Qatar’s future as a mediator in the region and defense cooperation in the wake of the Israeli strikes against Hamas in Doha.
Trump said he was unhappy with Israel’s strike, which he described as a unilateral action that did not advance US or Israeli interests.
Washington counts Qatar as a strong Gulf ally. Qatar has been a main mediator in long-running negotiations for a ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza, for the release of Israeli hostages held in Gaza and for a post-conflict plan for the territory.
Al-Thani blamed Israel on Tuesday for trying to sabotage chances for peace but said Qatar would not be deterred from its role as mediator.