Doron Steinbrecher made her first public comment in the video after being released from more than 15 months in a prisoner of war in Hamas, Gaza, and she vowed that she would never wear pink again.
A year ago, she appeared in a video of hostages made by a prisoner wearing a pale rosy sweatshirt. When Palestinian extremist group Hamas released her last month, she looked pale in a bright magenta tracksuit.
Sitting in front of the camera, she brought her back to a difficult moment again when her prisoner filmed her in Gaza, 31-year-old Steinbrecher told her in the video to make her look smiley. .
“This time, I'm sitting comfortably on the couch with my family and looking at me in a warm and enjoyable place,” she said. Trying to tell her she wasn't broken, she said it's important to show everyone “I'm fine.”
Most people only knew them as faces staring from the posters, as domestic and international families and sympathizers stubbornly campaigned for the release of Israeli hostages. Currently, as 16 Israelis have been released from January 19 under the ceasefire agreement with Hamas, these unforgettable faces offer a glimpse into the joy of freedom and the relief Come to life with clips, social media posts and statements. Tips of the pain they endured.
The short messages they sent are primarily an expression of gratitude to all those who worked for the release, pleasing not to give up until the final hostage is released.
The urgency of that message became even more clear on Saturday, when many Israelis were shocked to see the debilitating state of the three most recent hostages released. Eli Sharabi, 52; or taxation, 34; and Ohad Ben Ami, 56.
Some relatives say that previously released hostages were often deprived of food, suffered severe weight and muscle mass loss, and rarely saw sunlight. The family has at least reached a certain hostage access to radio and television, and they have heard and watched their relatives campaigning for their release. He said he helped them survive.
Colonel Avi Benov, a medical doctor and vice chief of the Israeli military, told reporters that some of the recently released female hostages have spent the last eight months underground in the Hamas Tunnel in Gaza. Some hostages released in November 2023 explain the humidity of choking in tunnels that have made breathing difficult.
Colonel Benov said that all the first seven women who were recently released suffered from “mild hunger,” but still had rap shots in their bodies from the injuries sustained on October 7, 2023.
It was the day Hamas led an attack from Gaza in southern Israel. The attack ignited a 15-month war, and Israeli attacks in Gaza killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and destroyed territory.
Of the approximately 250 prisoners of war, scores were released during the week's truce later that year, but some were killed as prisoners. More than 70 hostages have yet to be returned, including at least 35 people believed to be dead, according to the Israeli government.
A total of 25 hostages are expected to be released along with eight other bodies during the first six-week ceasefire that came into effect last month.
They have been traded for around 1,500 Palestinian prisoners, some of whom were convicted of killing Israelis. The Palestinians were released, many of them being detained unpaid, but they said they faced severe conditions in Israeli prisons and detention facilities.
Some of the Israeli hostages were forced to appear in videos filmed by Gaza prisoners. This is a practice that rights groups have condemned as inhumane treatment, equivalent to war crimes. Israeli officials call these forms of psychological warfare.
A few months ago, Hamas' military department issued a statement claiming the hostages had been killed, releasing a blurred image showing the body wrapped in shrouds. One close-up shot showed the same tattoo as a tattoo belonging to Daniela Gilboa, one of the many women's observation decks captured from a small military base near the Gaza border.
However, 20-year-old Gilbore was released on January 25th. A few days later she was singing at a party showing Army Outlook's discharge from Bailinson Hospital near Tel Aviv.
She reflected on the ordeal in a lengthy Instagram post on February 2nd. She said that Jewish ritual faith and observance had passed through her. She thanked her supporters for not believing rumors that she was killed in Gaza.
Another of the observation decks, Lili Albag, celebrated her 20th birthday while recovering at the hospital.
Steinbrecher was invited from his home in Kfaluaza, a rural community near the Gaza border.
In the video she released, her appearance contrasted sharply with the hostage video made when she turned pale, with her blonde hair returning to the braid. Her hair was now dark, neatly styled with a shoulder-length bob, and she was dressed in black, wearing a long necklace, a dog tag and a yellow pin in solidarity with the hostages. She said she is no longer the person in the Gaza video.
“I'm Delon. I'm 31. I'm no longer in Hamas. I'm home,” she said.
The recently released hostages remain largely protected from news media glares and have not been interviewed so far. Medical and mental health professionals say preserving privacy is essential for a long healing process.
The footage released by the army of an emotional reunion with nearby families gave the excitement surrounding their return.
“Dad, I'm back in life!” Another released hostage, Romi Gonen, 24, cried out onto his cell phone after reuniting with his mother on January 19th.
Experts say long confinement causes physical and psychological harm and complete rehabilitation takes time.
“We're walking on very slow roads,” said Professor Noah Eliakim Raz, ward head of the Beillinson Hospital returnees. “Of course, there are ups and downs. Every day is different.”
Some of the hostages released were returned from injuries sustained by the attack on October 7th. Emily Damari, 28, lost two fingers and was also shot in her leg after being shot by her hand.
She is a fan of Israeli football team Maccabi Tel Aviv, and in one of Monday's matches, a video message from Damari was projected onto a huge screen. She thanked the players, management and supporters who fought for her freedom.
Gonen is still suffering from an arm injury and will require complicated surgery, his mother said.
Agriculturalist Gadi Moses (80), lured from his home in Nir Oz, a village near the Gaza border, was released on January 30th, and Gant appeared. As soon as he returned to Israel, he promised to do everything he could to rehabilitate his devastated community.
His nie, Ephrath Machikawa, later told reporters that Mr Moses was kept on the ground through his captive height, but he was moved around frequently.
She closed in the room alone, she said, he exercised at a pace up to six miles a day, counting steps, keeping his mind aggressively with maths and other techniques. And he remained positive.
When she first met him in the hospital, he reassured her. “I'm alive. I'm normal!”
“Loneliness becomes an enemy,” Machikawa said. “He managed to create a routine that would keep him sane.”
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