As the world still processes the news of the six murdered hostages found in Gaza, leading to mass demonstrations throughout Israel, a report by Channel 12 News has revealed a disturbing detail about the condition of hostages held in Gaza by Hamas. The body of Eden Yerushalmi, returned to Israel recently, weighed a mere 79 pounds – 22 pounds less than before her abduction. This alarming weight loss paints a grim picture of the conditions endured by the 101 hostages still in captivity.
Video: Hostage Eden Yerushalmi in a video Hamas released after her body was found by the IDF
Yerushalmi was among those kidnapped on Oct. 7 from the Nova music festival and taken to Gaza, where she was later murdered. Her remains were repatriated four days ago, along with those of five other hostages.
The extreme weight loss strongly suggests severe malnutrition among the captives. In a video released by Hamas on Monday after news broke out of her death, Yerushalmi was seen addressing her family: "I want to speak to my dear family, whom I love so much and miss – Mom, Dad, Shani, and May. I love you so much and I miss you." Her family authorized the release of a portion of this footage.
On Wednesday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson shared footage of the tunnel shaft where the bodies of Yerushalmi, Carmel Gat, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Alexander Lobanov, Almog Sarusi, and Staff Sergeant Ori Danino. Disturbingly, dolls and cartoon character murals were found nearby, suggesting the presence of a children's play area.
