Freed Israeli hostages face long road to physical and mental recovery

Geoff Bennett:

Welcome to the "News Hour."

The fragile Israel-Hamas cease-fire faces new tension tonight in part over the missing remains of more than 20 Israeli hostages.

Amna Nawaz:

All 20 living hostages were released yesterday, but they were supposed to be accompanied by the bodies of 28 deceased hostages. Only eight have been handed over as of this evening.

As Leila Molana-Allen reports again tonight from Israel, caring for the living is now a priority, while awaiting the delivery of the dead is excruciating.

Leila Molana-Allen:

A tidal wave of emotion on the day a nation had longed for and then came the day after. For many months, the focus was on getting the hostages home. Now it's switched to helping them heal.

The staff at Rabin Medical Center in Petach Tikvah were ready, preparing for weeks, or some might say for two long years. Five of yesterday's 20 released hostages landed here. And head nurse Michal Steinman was there to greet them.

Michal Steinman, Rabin Medical Center:

And I'm supposed to be very official, I'm the head nurse and welcome to the hospital. It doesn't work. I'm standing there, and I'm feeling the river of emotions flow through them. Really, sometimes I'm feeling even all the nation sits at my shoulders and I have to hug them in order for all the people who want to do it.

Leila Molana-Allen:

Many more hugs as they were reunited with family. Having treated nine previously released hostages and now experienced in what Steinman calls captivity medicine, a skill she hopes she will never need to use again. They know the medical impact of years without access to regular food and sunlight, as well as possible physical injury from Israel's aerial bombardment of Gaza.

Their physical condition was better than feared, but psychological wounds can take longer to unveil.

Michal Steinman:

Only 24 hours ago, they were in a tunnel, and now they're here in sort of a paradise which everyone give them whatever they want and just surround them in love and hugs. But I think that, for the long term, for — we are expecting a lot of issues, post-traumatic issues, depression issues and other issues.

And, slowly, slowly you work with them. A part of them will always stay in Gaza. You can't take those two years of their life. It's to learn how to live the best way with those parts that they left there.

Leila Molana-Allen:

Things as simple as giving recovering captives a choice over when they take their medicines and what they want to eat can help recover their sense of identity. But far more challenging, I ask her, how can they ever begin to feel safe again?

Michal Steinman:

Safe and trust goes together. And when they cry, we hug them. And when they say — sometimes, if they scream about us, it's OK. We can bear this. They understand that we're going to be there no matter what.

Leila Molana-Allen:

Here and across Israel, it was a day of unbridled joy, but not for everyone.

Every hostage, both living and deceased, was supposed to be returned home yesterday. But by the end of the day, just four of the 28 bodies had been sent home. Hamas said they don't actually know where all the bodies are. Israel said that's not good enough and has now threatened sanctions, including keeping the Rafah border closed and limiting humanitarian aid into Gaza until everybody is returned.

When the small kibbutz of Nir Oz, just four miles from Gaza's border, was attacked by Hamas militants on October 7, 38-year-old Tamir Adar, told his wife and young children to hide and went out to protect his home. Narrowly managing to escape as dozens of his neighbors were killed and kidnapped, Tamir's younger brother, Nir, feared the worst.

Nir Adar, Brother of Deceased Hostage: My mom was hoping and praying that he's alive. And she tried to convince herself that, even if he were badly wounded, that he might survive. And then I went on the kibbutz to the spot where they were and saw lots and lots of blood. I did my one plus one and I understood what happened.

Leila Molana-Allen:

They never saw him again.

Three months later, the family got the news they dreaded. Tamir was dead, killed while fighting back. Hamas took Tamir's body to Gaza as a bargaining chip. Tamir's elderly Labrador Luli (ph) now clings to Nir, unable to understand why her dad never came back.

Being unable to bring Tamir home and bury him has made his loss all the more unbearable. The Adars feel they have been living a life in limbo.

Nir Adar:

In the Jewish culture, it's extremely important for us to bury our dead. We cherish life, but we also cherish the way someone is ending his life. And it's super important for the family to have a place they can come and pray and meet the one that they miss.

He loved his friends, his family. We used to play poker and watch football. He was really a funny guy, an honest guy, and a loyal guy. He never hurt anyone. On that morning of October 7, he decided to put his own needs behind and help the community. And he was actually truly a hero. There were four people who stood against 500 Hamas terrorists.

It's like from a scene in a movie. Actually, by doing that, they saved lots of life.

Leila Molana-Allen:

Even as we spoke, the news came that Hamas promised to release a few more bodies tonight and several more tomorrow. If Tamir is among them, his family can finally heal. But Nir says he won't rest until every hostage is home. And either way, he will never forgive his government for doing what he considers so little and so late.

Nir Adar:

I don't believe that bringing back all hostages was first priority for this government. They chose their political considerations over saving lives.

Leila Molana-Allen:

Do you and your family feel left behind?

Nir Adar:

Of course. We feel like it's the second time we are being betrayed by our own government. First time was on October 7, 2023. And the second time is right now. The Israeli society are celebrating in the streets right now like it's all over.

They gave their bodies and souls to defend Israel. But, today, Israel is forgetting them.

Leila Molana-Allen:

The defining characteristic of this hostage crisis has been the unity it inspired, every Israeli identifying as the family of all the captives. Now, as the country and the world look to the future, for the first time, some have been left out in the cold.

For the "PBS News Hour," I'm Leila Molana-Allen in Kiryat Gat, Israel.