A senior Health Ministry official on Tuesday revealed at a Health Committee meeting that the released hostages reported receiving clonazepam (Klonopin) before they were released from captivity.

Clonazepam can be addictive and is used as a date-rape drug. It is a tranquilizer, and acts to calm the nervous system.

According to the official, the hostages were dosed in order to ensure that they would provide Hamas with complimentary footage, in which they are smiling and calm in the terrorists' hands.

Dr. Hagar Mizrahi, head of the General Medicine Division in the Health Department, said, "We know that Hamas gave the hostages in captivity Clonex pills, so that they would have a feeling of euphoria." Clonex is the Israeli trade name for clonazepam.

The report regarding the clonazepam follows reports that the hostages were given sleeping pills, as well as reports of various forms of mental abuse.

Yizhar Lifshitz, the son of Oded Lifshitz, who is still held captive in Gaza, said, "Everyone, after two months, ended up crazy. With crazy stories. The issue is being silenced. it could be that it is true. I am not getting involved in censorship - but this is the situation - three hours from here, a Holocaust is happening to people - abuse, slamming heads into walls, women who were sexually abused who are not receiving treatment."

"This is a mega-event. Don't forget anyone. Start passing tens of billions in this direction, because these are the sums. The welfare departments were collapsing even before [this happened], so what their state is right now - I don't know."