The emaciated appearance of three Israeli hostages freed by Hamas on Saturday has sparked anger across the community, with their condition likened to that of Holocaust survivors.
The men were handed over to the Red Cross at Deir al Balah in central Gaza, shortly before Israeli authorities freed 183 Palestinian prisoners and detainees — with at least seven rushed to hospital.
The three Israelis, Ohad Ben Ami, Eli Sharabi and Or Levy were reported to be in good condition despite looking incredibly frail and gaunt after their 16-month ordeal.
An Israeli hospital official said on Saturday that after initial medical assessment of Mr Ami, it was "evident that Ohad returned in a severe nutritional state and had lost a significant amount of his body weight".
The three men are now being treated in two hospitals in central Israel.
Yael Frenkel Nir, director of the Sheba General Hospital and head of the medical response team for returning hostages, said the returnees were in a "more serious" condition than hostages freed by Hamas in the past.
"From the medical knowledge we accumulated, the long time in captivity is reflected by a significant deterioration in their condition," she said.
Israeli authorities promised action against Hamas as a result, but did not specify what form that would take.
"Due to the harsh condition of the three hostages and the repeated violations of the Hamas terror groups, the prime minister has ordered that Israel will not gloss over this and will take action as needed," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said in a statement.
Crowds in Hostage Square watching the handover on big screens gasped as they saw the men emerge from Hamas vehicles.
"Seeing them today looking like Holocaust survivors was really, really hard," onlooker Dania Takagi told the ABC.
"The horrors and the torture they went through … it shows on them," fellow supporter Ella Ahron said.
Released Palestinians rushed to hospital
On Saturday, 183 Palestinian prisoners and detainees were freed from Israeli jails, shortly after the three Israeli hostages were handed over.
Celebratory gunfire could be heard in Gaza, where more than 100 were taken. Many had been detained during the war, but never convicted of any offences.
Forty-two were released to the West Bank, with local authorities saying at least seven needed to be rushed to hospital after getting off buses in Ramallah.
Israeli authorities have been repeatedly accused of severe neglect of Palestinians in Israeli jails, with diseases ripping through facilities and alleged beatings.
Israel has denied the claims of mistreatment.
Among those released into the West Bank was Eyad Abu Shkaidem, who had been serving 18 life sentences for his role in planning suicide attacks against Israel in the early 2000s.
Some prisoners were also deported to Egypt.
Netanyahu slammed for prioritising DC trip
Twenty-one of the 33 Israeli hostages slated for release in the initial six-week ceasefire deal have now been brought home, and there are grave fears for the handovers that will come in the next few weeks.
Eight of those still be returned before March 2 are believed to be dead. Among them Shiri Bibas and her two young children Kfir and Ariel.
The anxiety of the return of dead hostages, and the sight of the three frail men released on Saturday, is fuelling anger towards the Netanyahu government.
The prime minister is being criticised for prioritising a trip to the United States this week, meeting with President Donald Trump, over pushing ahead with talks to get more hostages home.
Yehuda Cohen, whose son Nimrod is still held by Hamas and is not among those to be released in the six-week ceasefire, took aim at Mr Netanyahu.
"It is worth mentioning that at the same time that Israeli citizens are being released from Hamas captivity [looking] like Holocaust survivors, Netanyahu is spending time in a luxury hotel suite in Washington, at the expense of the Israeli taxpayer, and the expense of the suffering of the hostages," he told Israeli media outlet Ynet.
An Israeli delegation is due to travel to the Qatari capital Doha this weekend to take part in those 'Phase Two' negotiations, almost a week after the talks were meant to ramp up.
ABC/AP
