Medical supplies sent for hostages held in Gaza in early 2024 were received, a French diplomatic source stated on Wednesday.
Last January, in a joint effort by France and Qatar, medical supplies were sent for hostages, although their delivery could not initially be confirmed.
“Reports suggest that recently released hostages from Hamas captivity acknowledged receiving some medical treatments during their imprisonment,” the source explained.
“While tracing the exact origin of the supplies remains challenging, this indicates that the operation, spearheaded by France and Qatar in close coordination with the Hostage and Missing Families Forum, was not in vain.”
Last year, an operation involving France, Qatar, and the hostages' families was disclosed. Israel’s government was not told about the initiative and had no involvement.
A supportive mission
Family members such as Rotem Cooper and Efrat Machikawa, whose relatives were abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz, collaborated with Dr. Meir Zusman and Dan Sobovich.
They enlisted support from both local and global figures, including David Meidan, who served as the coordinator for hostages and missing persons at the time of Gilad Schalit's release in 2011
Additionally, international organizations and the Hostage and Missing Families Forum played a role in ensuring the medical shipment reached the Gaza Strip.
The supplies traveled through various European countries before passing into Egypt, then the Red Crescent, and finally into Gaza.
This operation took place in November 2023, a month following the October 7 massacre. While some supplies were later located by IDF forces at a hospital in Khan Yunis, families have yet to receive definitive confirmation that hostages received the medical supplies.