In an interview with BBC , President Isaac Herzog addressed the condition of three hostages, Ohad Ben-Ami, Eli Sharabi, and Or Levy, released over the weekend after 491 days in captivity. During the interview, President Herzog criticized BBC's policy and their continuous comparisons between convicted Hamas terrorists and the hostages. Herzog emphasized that Israel is a democracy upholding the rule of law, while Hamas engages in barbaric terrorist activities. "I completely reject this comparison. Moreover, I think the comparison that BBC tries to promote is outrageous, unfounded, and baseless," Herzog stated. "We are a democratic state that upholds the rule of law. All prisoners in Israel receive the conditions entitled by law, under court supervision, and Supreme Court judges, who are not part of the prison system, recently visited prisons where terrorist prisoners are held." "Those prisoners don't even want to return to Gaza, they prefer to stay in Israeli prisons. Therefore, BBC's false comparison is outrageous, and I urge everyone to stop this approach and understand that the horrific massacre of October 7 is the start of an attack on the free world, and what we are doing is preventing further terrorist activities against humanity." Related articles: Herzog proposes framework for commission of inquiry Ori Danino took responsibility and demonstrated Jewish bravery President Herzog meets with released hostage Tal Shoham Our hearts ache at identification of Ohad, Itzik, Tsachi & Shlomo "The three released hostages were held in tunnels throughout the period. They had no contact with the outside world and received almost no food," Herzog noted. He further added that their medical condition is very severe, and they suffer from severe injuries, intense pain, and serious wounds. Finally, Herzog said: "I'm concerned about the fate of all others - of all 76 hostages still there. We hope and pray that all 76 hostages will return from Gaza as soon as possible, every last one of them," he concluded.
