By Said Amori
JERUSALEM (AA) - Israeli army doctors said Saturday the health of four freed female soldiers is "excellent" and that the servicewomen had not received stimulants or drugs during their captivity in the Gaza Strip.
The assessments by the doctors refute official Israeli claims that Hamas gave the captives stimulants in the form of vitamins and sedatives to make them appear happy before they were released.
Israel's official public broadcaster, KAN, said military doctors reported that the soldiers were found to be "in good and stable health" after conducting examinations following their release.
The doctors added that the soldiers confirmed they had not received stimulants or drugs while in captivity.
The female soldiers later confirmed that their lives were under threat and they experienced "extreme terror" due to the heavy bombardment by the Israeli army near their places of detention.
Their accounts align with earlier warnings by the Palestinian resistance group which said Israeli airstrikes had caused the deaths of dozens of prisoners in its custody and nearly resulted in the deaths of several others.
Family members of the released soldiers told Israel's Channel 12 that the captives had informed them that they were held in locations very close to the bombings, which targeted areas across Gaza for more than 15 months.
The soldiers expressed feeling "extreme terror" during the bombings, according to statements.
They also noted that they were frequently moved between houses and tunnels during their detention, amid airstrikes, to ensure their safety.
Hamas handed over the four female soldiers earlier Saturday under a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement with Israel.
Some 200 Palestinian prisoners were also released in exchange for the soldiers.
Under the first phase of the ceasefire, Israel is now set to withdraw from the Netzarim Corridor area that separates northern Gaza from its south, allowing displaced Palestinians to return to the north.
The first six-week phase of the ceasefire agreement took effect Jan. 19, suspending Israel’s genocidal war that has killed more than 47,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children, and injured over 111,000 since Oct. 7, 2023.
On day one of the deal, Israel released 90 Palestinian detainees in return for three Israeli captives set free by Hamas.
The three-phase ceasefire agreement includes a prisoner exchange and sustained calm, aiming for a permanent truce and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.
The Israeli onslaught has left more than 11,000 people missing, with widespread destruction and a humanitarian crisis that has claimed the lives of untold numbers of elderly people, women, and children.
The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants last November for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.
*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala