Hostages condition on release

[LetThereBeLove]

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/02/08/israel-hamas-hostages-released-gaza-latest-news/

The images speak for themselves

By 'the powers that be', are you saying that site moderators on Mumsnet are reporting posters to CST and communicating that they are doing so to other site users?

Yes they are very radical views too. I would view the Israeli government and Hamas on a fairly level moral field. The only difference is that the Israeli government holds much more military power.

See that, to me, is an incredibly radicalised view. The Israeli government isn't a proscribed terrorist organisation, and they were democratically elected. They didn't plan and carry out a mass terrorist attack on innocent civilians including torture, mutilation and rape. And they don't show a complete and utter indifference to the lives of their citizens - in fact Hamas thrives on high civilian death tolls, it's literally one of their PR tools.

I'm not saying Israel currently has a perfect government, far from it, there are some absolute headbangers, but Hamas they are not.

One is a democratically elected government and the others are rapists/murderers/kidnappers/extorntionists/thieves.

There is no similarity whatsoever.

Mental that this needs to be pointed out 🙄

One is a democratically elected government committing war crimes whose president has got a warrant arrest for this. Also, the countries army are rapping/murdering/illegally detaining /thieving

and the others are rapists/murderers/kidnappers/extorntionists/thieves.

Maybe it has become a radical view that both sides have committed crimes against humanity and dehumanised the other side. That nothing justifies collective punishment or ethnic cleansing. And that the words peace or ceasefire should never become loaded words.

100%

100% their opinion.

I would have thought concerns for what the world thinks about their treatment of the hostages is rather overtaken in their mind by the plans for the population’s forcible expulsion from Gaza being trumpeted far and wide by the most powerful man in the world. It’s hardly likely to make them feel this ceasefire will lead to a positive second phase even if we discount Israel’s possible ceasefire violations.

I hope for all the remaining Israeli hostages being held in Gaza to be released imminently

Absolutely heartbreaking for all, especially the Bibas family

💔

@mids2019 or the other hostage being told by a baying mob that his family had been murdered including his brother in captivity. Didn't get as much air time on here though for some reason.

I would have thought concerns for what the world thinks about their treatment of the hostages is rather overtaken in their mind by the plans for the population’s forcible expulsion from Gaza being trumpeted far and wide by the most powerful man in the world.

The thoughts of Hamas won't include concern for the civilian population, as they never do. They are not people to them, just propaganda tools.

That was awful. They were gleeful as they announced his brother's death to the cheering mob. How anyone can support that is astonishing.

Do you actually think Hamas want a second stage? Do you actually think they care about the average Palestinian? They don’t. They only care about the annihilation of the Jews.

Ofcourse they would. The second stage also involves the reconstruction of Gaza so why would they not?

@ViolaPlains yes I think they do want a second stage as they see no alternative (not because I believe they are in any way good people who care about the Palestinian population). I don't think the Israeli Government does now, particularly now Trump's plan is on the table.

There's many politicians in Israel who certainly don't want the second phase and are very vocal about it too.

Have you spent any time at all studying what Hamas do & how they operate? They dont care about the reconstruction of gaza. They care about their own power and destroying Israel. Do you think their senior leadership & puppet masters even live full time in Gaza?

The rebuilding of their tunnel network and rearmament as well as homes, hospitals, schools, mosques etc. Who is going to pay for this? Certainly not the silent majority of countries who are happy for Israel to do the dirty work by trying to get rid of Hamas terrorists.

I will leave you all to it as I don't believe alternate views are welcomed on this thread. Peace to all.

Is there an alternative view to 'the hostages looked really in bad shape on release'. I mean an alternative view would be 'they looked fit and healthy'.

The thread is actually about the condition of the hostages on release after all? Did you miss that?

I wonder if even the more sympathetic countries would be willing to fund much actual reconstruction at this point. Neither Hamas nor Israel are likely to change what they're doing for the foreseeable, meaning the likely outcome is more urban warfare in Gaza. It feels more like a pause in ongoing hostilities than anything else, regardless of where any particular government stands on the legitimacy of either side's behaviour. I envisage Gaza getting lots of help, but mostly short term.

A hostage that was/is due to be released Saturday

"On Sunday, the mother of hostage Eliya Cohen, 27, said her son had been held with returning hostages who were chained, gagged, burned with a searing hot object, hung by the feet, and starved.
Sigi Cohen said the hostages testified that her son is being held in a tunnel, has been chained for the entire length of his captivity, gets little food or daylight, and suffers from an untreated bullet wound to the leg sustained during the Hamas onslaught.
Eliya Cohen is the only captive out of the nine who is slated to go free in the current first phase of the deal."

Contrast that with Sinwar who was given medical treatment when he was a prisoner in prison for murder.

'But they got a goody bag' (wails)