The Media Line: Released Hostages’ Recovery ‘Can Be Overwhelming, Will Take Time’ 

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Released Hostages’ Recovery ‘Can Be Overwhelming, Will Take Time’ 

Mental health experts report that whether the freed hostages will develop PTSD depends not only on the trauma experienced in captivity but also on the individual’s background, resilience and coping mechanisms 

 By Maayan Hoffman/The Media Line 

A week after Israel’s last living hostages returned home from captivity, the doctors treating them are only beginning to grasp the full scope of what these men endured. 

Their bodies bear visible scars, but the deeper wounds are often invisible. Some challenges are short-term and already being managed. Others, doctors warn, may last for years — perhaps even a lifetime. 

“There are for sure nutritional problems,” explained Dr. Michal Steinman, director of nursing at Rabin Medical Center, where five of the recently released hostages were taken for care. “We see a lack of vitamins due to starvation, weight loss and muscle strength. They are not in good shape. They are weak.” 

Steinman emphasized that even though the hostages walked out of Gaza on their own two feet, it doesn’t mean they are strong. Two years of poor nutrition have left them unable to walk long distances or stand for extended periods. Many are also suffering from diarrhea and stomach pain as their bodies readjust to regular food; even something as simple as milk or vegetables can cause discomfort. 

Some hostages are dealing with medical complications unique to their time in captivity. 

While patient confidentiality limits what hospitals can disclose, it has been publicly reported that hostage Alon Ohel spent two years with shrapnel lodged in his right eye, resulting in partial vision loss. Doctors now say there is a good chance he may regain his sight following surgery. 

Steinman told The Media Line that one of the hostages is suffering from a skin condition, and another has an issue with his hearing. Many are also struggling with orthopedic and neurological challenges. 

“There is a multisystemic impact,” the doctor said. “Each system is connected to another, and they all have to get back on track.” 

The most recent group of 20 hostages was taken to three hospitals: Rabin Medical Center, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center and Sheba Medical Center. 

At Rabin Medical Center, the Returning Hostages Unit was created to offer a quiet, private, and supportive space where freed captives and their families can begin the healing process together. The facility was initially established last year to care for the initial group of nine hostages and later assisted Schneider Children’s Hospital in treating seven women and children released in November 2023. 

Steinman explained that care for the hostages must be tailored to individual medical and emotional needs and readiness. Treatment is provided by a multidisciplinary team that includes physiotherapists, speech and occupational therapists, psychologists, nutritionists and experiential therapy specialists. 

One of the five hostages brought to Beilinson Hospital last Monday, Avinatan Or, has already been released. The others are expected to be discharged by the end of the week and will continue treatment in the hospital’s long-term Hostages Rehabilitation Unit. 

“We received five men with great will to be rehabilitated as soon as possible,” Steinman said. “But recovery can be overwhelming, and it will take time.” 

She added that these hostages, like those who were released previously, will likely require ongoing treatment for months — and in some cases, years. 

Beyond the clinical challenges, there are psychological ones, and most of these will be difficult to fully grasp in the immediate aftermath of release. Steinman noted that the euphoria of freedom and the joy of reuniting with loved ones can often mask physical and emotional pain. Such an abrupt change, she said, can be a shock to the system. 

So far, none of the patients at Beilinson have shown any “major signs” of depression, suicidal thoughts or anxiety, but Steinman cautioned that these symptoms could surface later. 

“A week is nothing regarding what they have been through and what they are going to be going through,” the doctor added. 

Dr. Ben Amit, a board-certified senior specialist in psychiatry and a pharmacology graduate of the University of Oxford, told The Media Line that it is still too early to diagnose post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in these hostages. Whether or not they will develop it depends on several factors — not only the trauma experienced in captivity but also the individual’s background, resilience and coping mechanisms. 

“We can’t really tell which ones will recover quickly and return to their baselines and [which ones] will suffer from long-term impairment,” said Amit, who also serves as the medical director of Stella Israel. “Unfortunately, there’s a big chance that some of them will suffer the scars of their experience for a long time.” 

Amit explained that during captivity, some hostages may dissociate as a survival mechanism. However, once they return home and let their guard down, their psychological challenges often begin to surface. 

He described PTSD as a condition that manifests in four main clusters of symptoms. The first involves memories: flashbacks, nightmares, blocked recollections or dissociation. The second cluster is avoidance, in which survivors steer clear of situations or experiences that remind them of their trauma. 

“If you were in captivity, you might find it difficult to be alone or in a large crowd,” Amit said. “You may find it difficult to be reminded of wars, to watch war movies and so forth.” 

He added that avoidance can also become more pervasive, extending to general social withdrawal or a reluctance to engage in intimacy. 

A third cluster, perhaps the most well-known, is hypervigilance: constantly feeling on edge. These individuals often experience sleep disturbances, heightened irritability or sudden outbursts, and may become especially sensitive to noise or light. 

Finally, Amit said, a fourth cluster involves negative changes in cognition. 

“This means having a different worldview,” he explained. “These people have less confidence, less trust, sometimes depressive symptoms, thoughts of guilt or shame.” 

Amit said that sometimes treating these patients with pharmacotherapy is helpful, but it is usually only temporary. Today, several more innovative treatments are being explored, including psychedelic-assisted therapy, which is currently in trials in Israel and around the world, and stellate ganglion block treatment — an injection of local anesthetic in the neck that helps calm the nervous system. 

Amit said that with proper treatment, a person can make a full recovery from PTSD, although “some or even many won’t.” 

His message to the hostages, however, is one of patience and perseverance. 

“Never lose hope,” Amit said. “We are in an age and era where we want everything faster now, and we don’t have patience for processes that take years, but that’s the natural course of it. We can’t rush it. It takes years to heal from PTSD, but there is always hope.” 

Steinman added that returning to everyday life brings its own difficulties, as former hostages must reconnect with their families and find their place again within their homes and society. 

“During those two years, everyone changes, and now they are starting to get to know each other again,” she said. 

She noted that the experience gained by medical and psychological teams in caring for hostages and thousands of other war victims over the past two years will likely drive future advances in treatment. Though she added, the true hope is that such knowledge will never again be needed. 

“It has been one of the biggest privileges in my life to be part of this amazing experience,” she told The Media Line. “We are honored that our hospital is part of this, and I think that in the end, we are strong, and they will be strong, and together we will pass this really difficult time. 

“I believe in us and I believe in them.”