Guidelines for handling released captives before transfer to medical facilities in Israel

Once the International Committee of the Red Cross hands over released hostages to Israeli hands, the first persons they meet–before they transfer to hospitals and meet their families–are military mental and medical professionals. This encounter is a challenge to both the returnees and the professionals meeting them. Over the initial handover process, the returnees feel exposed and vulnerable in the intermediate situation between captivity and return to their previous reality. Their reactions at that interim time are likely to be varied, ranging from joy and euphoria to sadness, a sense of alienation, anxiety, and disconnection. The initial reception time could prove an opportunity to offer interventions that might lead to effective adaptive responses upon returning to Israel. The present article describes the preparations made urgently to receive released hostages and the protocol developed to provide the best response to their needs on their arrival. The protocol described in this article, formulated at the IDF Combat Stress Reaction Unit, takes into account the needs of the released hostages and the responses required to meet these needs. The main protocol principles include a warm welcome to instill a sense of security and adjust the human touch to the complex situation and trust-building methods based on mirroring subjects’ emotions and leading them gently in the desired directions. Based on strict professional principles, the protocol covers an initial mental assessment, availability of personal, family, and community resources, and establishing contact with medical teams for follow-up treatment in medical facilities.