Jerusalem:
Hamas drugged hostages in order that they appeared “calm and happy” when launched from captivity in Gaza, an Israeli official stated on Tuesday after a one-week truce that noticed scores freed collapsed.
Israeli officers say Hamas militants seized about 240 hostages and took them to Gaza of their October 7 assaults on southern Israel, which killed 1,200 folks, largely civilians.
Of those, 105 had been launched throughout the Qatar-mediated truce which ended on Friday and halted devastating preventing contained in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, the place the federal government media workplace says greater than 16,200 folks have been killed, once more largely civilians.
Hagar Mizrahi, head of common drugs at Israel’s well being ministry, instructed lawmakers that sedatives reminiscent of Rivotril, also called Clonex, had been given to among the hostages earlier than their launch final month.
“They (Hamas militants) gave them Clonex pills to make them seem calm and happy before they were handed over to the Red Cross,” Mizrahi instructed parliament’s well being committee.
She didn’t specify whether or not the data was based mostly on blood checks or witness accounts, or what number of hostages she was referring to.
“They also gave them a little to eat just before their release, so that they left captivity in good form,” Mizrahi stated.
Of the 105 hostages launched, 80 Israelis had been freed in alternate for 240 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails beneath the phrases of truce settlement.
5 others had been launched earlier than the truce, together with one rescued by Israeli troops.
Based on the Israeli authorities, 138 hostages stay in Gaza.
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