Stories are beginning to dribble out about how the Israeli hostages were treated in captivity. I recommend you not read them if you run across them. For one thing some are pretty horrific and for another there is absolutely no way to verify them.
IMO the Israeli government and Israeli Defense Force are erring in not getting out in front of these stories to manage the narrative that is emerging. The risk is that a public uproar could greatly limit their alternatives.
One other observation. Unless Hamas starts providing “proof of life” it will certainly start looking as though a lot of the hostages who haven’t been released are actually dead. I’ve sort of assumed that all along.
“I recommend you not read them if you run across them. For one thing some are pretty horrific and for another there is absolutely no way to verify them.”
No, there is no way to verify. But Dave, really. This isn’t a science experiment. (We except wild assed global warming theories that never come true, without comment or doubt, more easily than whats going on here.) Do we really think the hostages ganged together to weave a wild tale?
I understand controlling the public fevers, but we edge towards playing right into Hamas’ strategy.
I dont think their stories should be suppressed. The world needs to know what happened and Hamas needs to bear the consequences. I dont think they have lots of support in the general Arab world but maybe it will lessen what does exist, excepting Iran of course. On the hostages, in particular the US hostages they could be holding on for attempted leverage but I think they are more likely dead. Some of the stories may not be exactly true but we let people freely publish stuff claiming that covid was a hoax and climate change isn’t real so why limit these?
Steve
It’s kind of amazing to me that there are people out there who believe that the same people who committed the atrocities on 10/7 would prove to be paragons when it comes to the treatment of hostages.
And of course, Hamas is not allowing international organizations like the Red Cross to verify their status.
And there is also evidence that Hamas has executed some of the hostages.
But the useful idiots will still give Hamas the benefit of the doubt.