The Release of the Israeli Hostages and Mental Health After Captivity
As of October 14th, 2025, All 20 living hostages were released and were supposed to be accompanied by 28 bodies. Shortly after only 8 had been released. Now over a month later only one hostage’s body remains in Gaza. For the living hostages, returning home means a second chance at life but it is not without struggle. Freedom after long periods of captivity or significant exposure to war can come with lasting mental health implications and ongoing challenges for families and their communities.
There is a stark contrast between living as a prisoner and a free citizen. PBS highlighted this clearly in an article focused around the initial release of the living hostages. “Only 24 hours ago, they were in a tunnel, and now they’re here.” Hostage Yosef-Haim Ohana has a positive outlook on his future but is already realizing his inability to simply reintegrate into society. “I’m so excited to return to the city, after two years of dreaming that I would get there someday. It’s crazy… I need to learn to be free, ” (Times of Israel). Furthermore, Tamar Pfeffer-Gik, a clinical dietitian at Rabin Medical Center-Beilinson Hospital in Petach Tikvah explained that “they have to learn how to live again — it’s like being reborn,”
Israel was prepared for the possibility of serious health complications whether mental or physical. They ensured that the Rabin Medical Center staff were prepared to address both physical wounds and psychological trauma for the hostages upon immediate release. According to interviews conducted by the Washington Jewish News Week “the hospital’s support will continue for life,” a relevant note in the future of the hostages’ societal reintegration.
PTSD is a serious concern for ex-prisoners of war (POW).
The National Institute of Health found that among ex-POW’s, 23% met PTSD criteria decades later and nearly 20% developed PTSD years after release.
Furthermore, the key risk factors identified by the NIH were: younger age at captivity, loss of emotional control, higher subjective suffering and chronicity.
The recently released hostages check many of the aforementioned boxes. Years in captivity, repeated threats, and exposure to violence likely place them in high-risk categories for long-term psychological effects. Due to these variables it is essential that these ex-POW’s receive proper treatment in order to effectively conquer the mental health challenge that might await them. The NIH suggests that ex-POW’s should seek/receive counseling, family therapy, and be continuously monitoring for delayed PTSD.
Psychological challenges aren’t limited to the hostages themselves. PBS spoke with the brother of Tamir, one of the deceased hostages returned by Hamas. Nir Adar (Tamir’s brother) “described the unbearable limbo of being unable to bury him.” He and his family spent years wondering if their brother, son, nephew, cousin, was alive or dead. Now two years later they are finally receiving closure to what was formerly a torturous wondering. This is not just a singular case, it is a phenomenon amongst families of ex-POW. The NIH explains that secondary traumatization is likely among spouses, children, and close family members. PBS’s article illustrates how the missing or deceased hostages create prolonged grief and trauma for families.
The release of the hostages marks the end of their captivity but not the end of their suffering. The living ex-POW’s, their families, and the families of the deceased remain at a high risk to develop mental health issues. The healing process that lies ahead will be unique for each individual, forcing the global community and Israeli society to choose how they will confront this newfound reality.
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