Hamas sedated hostages before their release back to Israel, which was broadcast worldwide, in order to "make them appear happy," a Health Ministry official said on Tuesday.
Aviv Asher, 2.5 years old, her sister Raz Asher, 4.5 years old, and mother Doron, react as they step off an Israeli military helicopter, shortly after their arrival in Israel on November 24, after being held hostage by the Palestinian militant group Hamas in the Gaza Strip © PMO
Hamas sedated hostages before their release back to Israel, which was broadcast worldwide, in order to "make them appear happy," a Health Ministry official said on Tuesday.
Prof. Ronit Endevelt, the head of the Israeli ministry's Nutrition Department, told a Knesset Health Committee hearing that the terrorist organization gave the hostages vitamins and Clonex mood stabilizers "to make them appear happy" in front of the cameras as they made their way back home from captivity.
Health Committee Chairman MK Yoni Mishraki of Shas told the meeting that the ministry should publish a detailed report to global health organizations regarding the medical findings discovered after the captives' return.
A Lebanese official denied on Thursday a Reuters report that Beirut had agreed with Israel to a shortlist of countries that could send troops to Lebanon to verify the disarmament of Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, and said it was following up on the issue with Washington.
Israel won't withdraw from southern Lebanon until Hezbollah is disarmed, the defence minister said on Thursday, qualifying remarks he made a day earlier that had suggested Israeli forces would occupy the territory indefinitely and drew U.S. criticism.
Israeli troops clashed with Jewish settlers on Wednesday while trying to disperse them from a West Bank outpost they set up directly in front of Palestinian homes, and later withdrew from the area after failing to clear the settlers, witnesses said.
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