As the world’s attention shifts from one headline to the next, the silent screams of 24 Israeli hostages still trapped in Gaza grow fainter. But they must not go unheard.
A devastating new medical report, compiled by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum and led by Professor Hagai Levine, lays bare the unimaginable suffering of these hostages — physically wounded, psychologically shattered, and morally abandoned by the international community.
“Life in Hell”: What the Report Reveals
Eighteen months after the October 7, 2023 massacre, the report describes the condition of the remaining hostages as nothing less than “a picture of life in hell.”
• Eight are seriously wounded — some with eye injuries, burns, infections, and even suspected permanent damage.
• Five suffer from chronic illnesses like asthma, severe allergies, or gastrointestinal conditions.
• All are malnourished. Many are in isolation, deprived of light, air, and dignity.
These men and women are not merely prisoners — they are survivors of a sustained campaign of torture and psychological warfare. They are chained, starved, mocked, and in some cases, forced to witness atrocities. Time has become their enemy. As the report plainly states: “Each additional day in captivity may be fatal.”
CJUI Stands with the Families
At Christians and Jews United for Israel, we cannot remain silent.
The testimonies shared by freed hostages, some released in 2025’s initial hostage deal, are heartbreaking. Captives have described:
• Choking, burning, and binding.
• Months in pitch-black tunnels, barefoot, chained, and unable to stand upright.
• Emotional torment — false promises of release, cruelty disguised as hope.
Among them is Alon Ohel, 24, blinded in one eye by shrapnel, left in solitary confinement without daylight or adequate food. Another, Yosef-Haim Ohana, suffers daily from severe digestive illness brought on by spoiled food and squalid conditions. Rom Braslavski, who battles asthma and spinal issues, has been denied access to even his glasses.
Where is the outcry?
The Moral Call to Action
We are compelled by faith, by love of truth, and by our shared humanity to act. The moral burden of their captivity lies not only on Hamas — a U.S.-designated terrorist organization responsible for this evil — but on every silent institution, every indifferent government, and every human rights group that has failed to demand their release.
The Captivity Risk Triad introduced in the report — assessing the hostage’s individual health, the abuse by captors, and the brutal environment — shows us just how dangerous each passing day is. Time isn’t neutral; it’s a weapon being wielded against these innocents.
What You Can Do
• Pray for the hostages by name — Alon, Yosef-Haim, Matan, Rom, Guy, and the others we may not know but God surely does.
• Contact elected officials and demand that the United States, the United Nations, and the Red Cross speak out and intervene.
• Share this story. Post about it. Talk about it. Don’t let their pain become background noise.
These are not statistics. These are sons and daughters. Brothers and sisters. People whose lives hang by a thread.
“Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter.” — Proverbs 24:11
Let us not be silent when heaven weeps. Let us stand, speak, and act — until every hostage comes home.