The first reports about the medical conditions of the hostages released from Hamas captivity are out, and they aren't good. 

The news comes on the heels of several dozen hostages being released as part of a rolling ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas. The halt in hostilities is expected to last as long as the terrorist government continues to release those they took captive on October 7th as planned. Israel has vowed to resume military action to destroy Hamas once the ceasefire ends. 

(Related: Life in the Tunnels: What It's Like to Be a Hamas Hostage)

As to the condition of the hostages that have been returned, initial reports show signs of starvation and malnutrition.

The doctors who treated the returned abductees: "They arrived in a state of malnutrition with poor indicators"

At Wolfson Hospital, they told about the medical condition of the freed people, and the conditions they were provided with in Gaza. "Their diet in captivity was mainly…

— Israel War Room (@IsraelWarRoom) November 27, 2023

Hamas is known to possess a vast reserve of food, hoarded by stealing from international aid shipments. That some of the hostages went days without food would suggest that was an active choice made by Hamas, not a result of simply not having enough supply. The terrorist government has attempted to use psychological warfare throughout the war, specifically in relation to the hostages themselves. Some of those who were released hadn't even been told their family members were murdered by Hamas on October 7th. 

Food wasn't the only issue, though. Some hostages went without required medications during their captivity, including an 84-year-old woman who spent 51 days in captivity. 

Her grave medical condition at the time of release raises a serious concern that there are additional hostages who are not receiving the medical treatment and medication vital for their survival. We know that there are still many hostages who are thus at immediate risk.

— Physicians for Human Rights Israel (PHRI) (@PHRIsrael) November 27, 2023

The excuse I'm seeing online is that Hamas simply didn't have the resources to provide the necessary food and medicine for those they took hostage. That's a ridiculous deflection because they could have simply let them go sooner if that were the case. Ultimately, Hamas is responsible for what happens to the hostages it has taken. It does not get a pass to keep them while also using the excuse that it can't provide basic nourishment and medical care for them. 

Over 200 people still remain in captivity, held by Hamas as leverage to keep the ceasefire going. Their conditions remain completely unknown as the Red Cross and other organizations are not being allowed to examine them. This is who Hamas is, and it's why the terrorist government must be destroyed in the end.