The Israeli army is preparing to receive children and women who have been held hostage by Hamas in the Gaza Strip and who are likely traumatized. Experts in child abuse join this effort by creating a manual that explains what can be offered or what first words should be addressed to minors.
“I’m here to take you home” or “you’re in a safe place” are two of the phrases suggested in the manual prepared for the soldiers who will take in the children and women released by Hamas.
France Press, which had access to this manual, states that soldiers are advised to introduce themselves politely and give reassuring assurances. On the list of what not to say, experts advise against asking questions about what may have happened to family members, since many have died.
When addressing the children’s question, the answer should be: “My job is to take you to a safe place where people you know are waiting for you and will answer your questions.”
Soldiers are also encouraged to discover and take away children’s favorite foods. If this mission is not successful, basic products such as bread, cheese or fruit must be taken.
Created by child abuse experts at the Haruv Institute in Jerusalem, at the request of the Israeli Government, the manual was based on the experiences of victims of the Boko Haram group in Nigeria, who were also kidnapped.
The experts interviewed by France Press also emphasize that everything must be done to avoid causing additional trauma, especially since there are several unknowns: for example, it is not known whether the children and their parents will be released together or separately, nor is it known. knows if the women were victims of sexual violence.
Still, there is a long road to recovering these hostages.
Of the more than 240 people Hamas kidnapped during its brutal attack on Israeli soil on October 7, four women have already been released for “humanitarian reasons,” according to the Palestinian group. A soldier was rescued by the Israeli army.
The bodies of two kidnapped women, a 19-year-old soldier and a 65-year-old woman, were found in the Gaza Strip.
On October 7, fighters from the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) – in power in the Gaza Strip since 2007 and classified as a terrorist organization by the United States, the European Union and Israel – carried out an attack on Israeli territory of dimensions unprecedented since the creation of the State of Israel in 1948, which caused 1,200 deaths, mostly civilians, and around five thousand injured.
In retaliation, Israel declared a war to “eradicate” Hamas, which began with food, water, electricity and fuel cuts in the Gaza Strip and daily shelling, followed by a ground offensive surrounding Gaza City.
The war between Israel and Hamas, which today marks 48 days and continues to threaten to spread throughout the Middle East region, has so far left around 15,000 dead in that poor Palestinian enclave, mostly civilians, and 33,000 injured, according to most. recent report by local authorities, and 1.7 million displaced people, according to the UN.
Source: TSF
