Are we safe now that the children are no longer being held hostage?

Recently, Dr. Efrat Bron-Harlev, CEO of Schneider Children’s Medical Center of Israel, spoke at the United Nations about the children who were kidnapped by Hamas terrorists on October 7, 2023.

At the time of the abduction, Kfir Bibas was only eight months old and was one of the 38 people taken.

The Bibas family, including the child, his parents, and his brother, remains in captivity.

To this day, children who were released after 50 days in captivity still wake up terrified in the middle of the night, according to pediatrician Bron-Harlev.

"They were prohibited from crying, laughing, or standing up."

The children looked like shadows, with no expressions on their faces. They were not happy or crying, but mostly very quiet.

The head physician of the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, Dr. Hagai Levine, reported observing children being fearful to express themselves.

He told Planet Chronicle Digital that being told "If you speak, you will be killed" in captivity was extremely traumatizing.

The hostages faced both psychological trauma and extreme physical danger.

Levine, who is also an epidemiologist, stated that the risks to the hostages' lives included the possibility of being murdered, not having enough food, oxygen, water, and being infected with diseases.

‘Every child has a right to health’

Levine wrote to UNICEF and the World Health Organization about the recent polio outbreak in Gaza, emphasizing that every child, including Kfir and Ariel Bibas, has a right to health.

This summer, Levine was on a bus with children who were previously hostages and those related to hostages.

"They have the unique ability to cope."

The young ones attended a U.S. summer camp in July, he said.

"I was labeled a White supremacist and the N-word by a few individuals."

"He recounted his observations, stating that he saw songs and jokes. Although they may not have been happy, he noted that they possessed a unique ability to cope."

The doctor stated that although these children have had to mature rapidly, the "malleability of the brain" allows them to recover.

He said he has encouraged them to play and dance.

He stated that there is always a shadow holding them back, as there are still other hostages captive at this moment.

Helping them regain trust

Seeing hostage posters everywhere of their neighbors is very real to the children who grew up in a tight-knit community of a kibbutz, as Levine stated.

He stated that it was extremely challenging for them to fully recover.

Levine stated that restoring trust in these children would be a lengthy procedure and they require a consistent presence in their lives, particularly if their parents were killed.

Such as speech therapy and equine therapy, physical, psychological, and educational rehabilitation can aid in regaining trust and feeling in control.

They "have been in this horrible nightmare" for nearly a year.

The hostage's relatives are suffering from survivor guilt, severe depression, anxiety, insomnia, and physical symptoms such as tremors.

Nearly a year has passed since they were traumatized because they don't know what happened to their loved ones, and they have been in this horrible nightmare, he said.

‘Could have been me’

Gali Tarshansky's aunt, Roxanne Saar, expressed her feelings to Planet Chronicle Digital, saying, "I could have been in her shoes."

On Oct. 6, 2023, Saar was staying at her father-in-law's home at Kibbutz Be'eri. That night, she decided to return home.

On the following day, Hamas terrorists killed 101 civilians in Be’eri and kidnapped 32 people, as reported by JNS (Jewish News Syndicate).

Lior, Gali Tarshansky's 15-year-old brother, and Noy Shosh, her 36-year-old uncle, were among the victims killed.

After being held captive for 54 days, the first question the young teenager asked upon release was, "Where is Lior?"

She discovered that her brother, uncle, dog, and friends from her kibbutz were killed after she returned to Israel.

Ohad Ben Ami, a husband from Kibbutz Be'eri, is still being held hostage in homes in Gaza along with festival survivors and other hostages.

"There was no showering, there was no water."

In Gaza, according to Saar, there was a lack of food, medicine, showers, and water, resulting in psychological terror.

The young woman was told by her captors, some of whom were armed, that "Israel does not exist and your family doesn't want you anymore."

"I'm not certain if we possess all the information, as I have no expectations from kidnappers who abduct a 13-year-old girl," Saar stated.

For the released hostages to heal, it is essential that the remaining hostages are freed, she emphasized.

Gali Tarshansky is currently residing in a different part of Israel and attending a new school. She is undergoing therapy.

Saar stated, "I believe no one can comprehend the future consequences of what transpired, as everyone desires to assist, but how can someone aid with something that we have never experienced before?"

‘Takes a long time’

According to Professor Merev Roth, PhD, who works with the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, therapists treating released hostages are facing uncharted territory.

"Will he come back when I'm really old?"

""No case in history has seen as many children and families kidnapped from their homes for such an extended period and in such a violent manner," she stated."

First Line Med (FLM) was founded by Roth, an organization that provides free treatment to victims of Oct. 7.

She oversees child therapists and provides treatment to adult family members of child hostages who were released after 50 or 54 days in captivity.

Roth stated that she initially visited some families in their homes or hotels due to their fear of venturing outside.

The gardener's work outside caused a three-and-a-half-year old toddler to become frightened.

Roth recounted the memory of the girl running into her mother's body and her mother immediately embracing her. The girl remained silent, trembling, and did not cry.

When the little girl heard noises outside, Roth stated that she inquired, "Are they coming for us again?"

Another child released from captivity struggles to complete a full day of kindergarten, according to Roth.

Despite her father still being a hostage, Roth inquired from her mother about his potential demise and whether he would return when she was older.

Children who were separated from their parents in captivity, or witnessed family members being murdered or wounded, had their sense of safety and trust in the world "shattered in the most extreme, brutal way," according to Roth.

"They become easily frustrated, angry and disassociated."

Roth stated that some children were abused and threatened by their captors, while others developed Stockholm Syndrome and identified with their captor.

The global spread of antisemitism is a significant setback, according to Roth. It intensifies the sensation that the world has lost its balance and that everything is skewed.

These children are experiencing "trauma syndrome symptoms," including anxiety, depression, sleeping disorders, and social withdrawal, as stated by her.

She stated that they become easily frustrated, angry, and disassociated, which means "you are disconnected from your emotional response ... You become confused. You cannot concentrate and you don't react emotionally in your full scope. You are a bit numb."

Dissociation can also be self-protective, Roth noted.

"It takes a long time for them to regain their composure, which is beneficial because their mental state shields them from experiencing an overwhelming amount of emotions if they were fully connected."

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The therapist said these children are struggling to feel normal.

"They strive to be friendly, cooperative, and smile through any channel they can find. Despite their injuries, they are truly remarkable in their coping skills."

Through imaginary scenarios, play therapy allows children to reenact real experiences and provides therapists with insight into their inner thoughts.

She stated that she sees the world divided into good and evil creatures, with complete evil, revenge, abuse, and angels.

"You can also observe the other side … life-saving heroes who emerged unexpectedly to rescue them."

The boy, seven years old, claimed to be a "cat hero" by assisting the cats he drew in falling asleep and overcoming their fear.

Roth shared that the child, after writing a heartwarming story with his therapist about a family of kidnapped kittens, declared, "Now we can conclude therapy because the kittens are back home."

Roth stated, "The beauty, strength, and resilience always overwhelm me."