Israel Frees 13 Healthy Gaza Detainees While Hostages Starve
The IDF released 13 Palestinian detainees to Gaza, reported to be in good health, amid ongoing investigations, sparking outrage as no hostages were freed in return. With 20 hostages still held by Hamas in dire conditions, the move has intensified calls for action from Israeli authorities and the Red Cross.
Today, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) released 13 Palestinian detainees from Gaza, transferring them back to the Gaza Strip via Red Cross vehicles to the Deir al-Balah area in central Gaza. The release, which mirrored logistics used in previous hostage exchanges, followed the completion of security investigations, with the IDF determining that further detention was unnecessary, according to military radio reporter Doron Kadosh. Footage of the event showed the detainees in good health, with some appearing physically robust, even overweight, despite months in Israeli custody. The operation has sparked outrage among hostage families and advocacy groups, who highlight that no hostages were returned in exchange, while an estimated 20 Israeli hostages remain alive in Hamas captivity under dire conditions.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, representing families of those abducted during Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack, had previously urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir for clarity on such releases, but no official response has been issued. The contrast between the detainees’ condition and reports of hostages enduring starvation and abuse in Gaza has fuelled public anger. A January 2025 ceasefire deal saw 33 hostages released in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, yet 50 hostages, including 28 presumed dead, remain in Gaza.
The Red Cross, criticized for limited access to hostages, facilitated the transfer but faces scrutiny for not securing reciprocal releases or even checking in on the Israeli hostages condition or offering medical support. Posts on X reflect public frustration, with some accusing the Red Cross of bias for condemning Israeli actions while ignoring Hamas’s treatment of hostages. The release underscores ongoing tensions in the Israel-Hamas war, with critics arguing it signals leniency toward suspected terrorists while hostages languish.