By Gayle Danis Rinot
A newly published medical report from the health wing of the Hostages and Missing Families Forum has issued an urgent warning about the life-threatening impact of extreme summer heat on Israeli hostages held in Gaza.
According to the report, the combination of searing temperatures, suffocating humidity, and lack of proper shelter or care is placing the hostages at immediate risk. July in Israel regularly sees daily highs in the 90s°F, with humidity levels reaching 70–80% or more. On Sunday, the country experienced its hottest day of the summer so far, with temperatures at the Dead Sea—Earth’s lowest point—soaring to nearly 116°F (46.5°C).
The report outlines several critical health risks facing the hostages: heatstroke, dehydration, and long-term organ damage due to chronic fluid loss. In extreme cases, the conditions could lead to systemic collapse or death. The authors stress that prolonged exposure to high heat in enclosed, unventilated spaces—such as the tunnels where many hostages are believed to be held—combined with limited access to water and proper nutrition, drastically increases the danger.
“The combination of physical confinement, insufficient hydration, and extreme humidity can lead to irreversible damage,” the report states.
Beyond the direct physical toll, the report highlights psychological deterioration. The extreme conditions are said to contribute to a decline in both cognitive and emotional functioning—not only for the hostages, but also potentially for their captors, raising concern about worsening treatment.
The document also draws attention to the risk of infectious diseases, which are likely to spread more rapidly in conditions of poor hygiene, contaminated water, and nutrient deficiencies—conditions common in Hamas’ underground holding sites.
In a particularly chilling warning, the report notes the potential impact on deceased hostages. High temperatures and humidity—especially in subterranean environments with no cooling—accelerate decomposition, making future identification more difficult. This not only hinders efforts to confirm the fate of hostages, but also diminishes the chances of returning bodies for proper burial.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum is calling for immediate international attention to the humanitarian dangers facing the hostages and the urgent need to bring them home before these threats become irreversible.
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