how will the released Israeli hostages be taken care of?

The first thirteen people are to be evacuated on Friday from the Gaza Strip, where they have been held since October 7. They will all benefit from medical care after a transfer which will be organized from Egypt.

The truce between Israel and the Islamist movement Hamas came into effect on Friday November 24. In the afternoon, for the first time, 13 hostages had to be released against 39 Palestinian prisoners (one hostage for every three prisoners). The agreement signed between the two parties provides for the release of a total of 50 hostages and 150 detainees on both sides, during this break which is expected to last four days. This is likely to be renewed for one day by the Hebrew State, for each new tranche of ten hostages released, within the limit of ten days.

The names of these first 13 hostages have not yet been revealed, but they are from the same kibbutz. The families concerned have been informed, as well as all those waiting for relatives held by Hamas, said former Israeli general Gal Hirsch, in charge of the hostage file. Given the highly sensitive nature of this operation, the Israeli authorities have asked the country’s media not to make any names public until the survivors have returned to the country.

An evacuation from Egypt

The plan provides for their transfer to Egypt at 4 p.m. (3 p.m. in France), writes the Israeli daily Haaretz. Hamas has committed to handing over the people concerned to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), which will take care of them until the Egyptian border, through the Rafah border post. This is where the Israeli army will take over, organizing a transfer to the Hatzerim military airbase, a few kilometers west of Beersheba.

The released hostages will undergo an initial medical examination there and will be able to speak on the telephone with their families. They will then be distributed to several medical centers, by helicopter or ambulance, where they will be accommodated in the presence of relatives, with a dedicated care team. They will undergo a new medical examination. In the event of suspicion of sexual abuse or torture, staff must inform the doctor, in order to initiate appropriate treatment, specifies a circular from the Israeli Ministry of Health. The former hostages will then undergo a new battery of more in-depth medical examinations. Adults will also have to answer a “debriefing” security led by the army.

The Israeli Ministry of Justice published on Wednesday a list of 300 names of Palestinians eligible for release (267 men and 33 women), anticipating a potential second phase of exchanges. The register contains in particular the names of adolescents (41% minors) convicted of violence or awaiting trial. The charges and accusations range from throwing stones or incendiary objects to disturbing public order, including “support for terrorism”THE “security breaches” as well as attempted murder. The list does not include any prisoners convicted of murder.