Prof. Hagai Levin, head of the health division of the captives' headquarters, warns that this winter, unlike the previous one, the captives do not have time, and there is a significant deterioration in their health condition, which could be fatal. It is unclear what the survival capacity is of those who are still there.
He also said: "The hostages are entering winter without physiological reserves." They have depleted their fat tissue, their muscle mass has diminished, and their ability to cope with the cold is weak to the point of being at risk for severe cold injuries and death. Their levels of essential vitamins and minerals are significantly deficient, and therefore their risk of dangerous heart rhythm disturbances is high.
Additionally, a few days ago, Mica Kobi, a former senior official in the Shin Bet and the interrogator of Yahya Sinwar in an Israeli prison, addressed the situation of Hamas after Sinwar's assassination in an interview with 'Maariv', providing a troubling picture of the negotiations for a hostage deal.
"The main headquarters of Hamas is no longer operational, yet there are still guerrilla fighters from the organization fighting throughout the region, within local and even neighborhood-based Hamas command posts." "Today, there is no one in all of Hamas who knows exactly where all the hostages are being held," claims Kobi.
He added: "It is possible that someone knows the location of one or two, but I don't think there is anyone who knows the location of all of them." There is no such thing as a deal – this is extortion. They are mercilessly extorting the state.
Kobi's solution for finding the hostages is to contact the captors directly: "We need to pay money to the captors of the hostages." After Sinwar was eliminated, they talked about this idea – but it was not implemented in practice. "We need to move towards intelligence operations and reach out to knowledgeable families to provide information about the captives – in exchange for money."
He also notes that Hamas is not willing to cooperate or disclose details about the condition of the hostages.
Regarding the question of the day after, Kobi says, "We need to establish units from the IDF and Shin Bet that will take care of local administration, and appoint educators and health professionals from Gaza who are not affiliated with Hamas." We have killed 90 percent of Hamas members, but we must ensure that nothing remains except for their idea as a political party, without any ability to implement it.
He further added: "They will do everything to continue the smuggling, so we must continue to control the route and monitor their movement." Otherwise, they will regain strength and weapons against us," he emphasizes.
Kobi concludes in the situation assessment: "If we work properly, within a year or two we can eliminate all of Hamas."
