In a shocking revelation, it has been reported that hostages freed by Hamas from the Gaza Strip were allegedly administered tranquilizer pills prior to their transfer to Israel.
This move was purportedly aimed at making them appear more content after their ordeal in captivity, according to a report.
Dr. Hagar Mizrahi, the head of the medical division of the Israeli Ministry of Health, disclosed this information to the Israeli government on Tuesday, as reported by The Times of Israel. The newspaper further reported that Mizrahi identified the drug as clonazepam, known outside of Israel as Klonopin and Rivotril.
This drug would have given the hostages an appearance of calmness and happiness, despite enduring physical abuse, deprivation, and psychological terror at the hands of the Palestinian terrorist group, Hamas.
The National Institutes of Health describes clonazepam as a drug "used to relieve panic attacks," among other uses. The hostages, who were held captive for over 50 days, were initially handed over to the International Red Cross before being transferred to Israel.
On October 7, more than 240 individuals, including Israelis and foreign nationals, were abducted to Gaza by Hamas terrorists who breached the border and massacred 1,200 people, as stated by the Israeli government. In response, Israel launched a rigorous bombing campaign and ground operations in a military mission to eradicate the terrorist group.
A temporary cease-fire agreement was reached between Israel and Hamas, which took effect on November 24. During this truce, 110 hostages were released by Hamas in exchange for approximately 240 Palestinian prisoners. However, the cease-fire ended and conflict resumed on November 30 after both parties accused each other of violating the agreement's terms.
Dr. Renana Eitan, who treated the freed hostages in Israel, told Fox News that the survivors are suffering from an unprecedented level of "extremely severe psychological abuse." Eitan stated, "I can tell you that on behalf of all the medical and psychological teams treating those who return, the mental states we encountered have no precedent in medical literature. We feel that we have to rewrite the textbooks of post-trauma."
Eitan further revealed that the Tel Aviv Medical Center is currently treating more than 15 former hostages, describing their "severe physical and mental abuse." He claimed they were subjected to "starvation, beating and sexual abuse" in "inhumane sanitary conditions" by the terrorist group. "Children were forced to watch brutal videos. They were under constant threats by weapons and threats to harm them even after they were released. They refer to the forced use of psychiatric drugs and other substances," Eitan added.
The Israeli military announced on Monday that 137 hostages, including women and children, remain in the custody of Hamas terrorists within the Gaza Strip. "We have a moral obligation to continue to do everything to bring everyone home," the Israel Defense Forces stated.
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