British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who had met with the family of Eli Sharabi who was freed after 491 days in Hamas captivity, commented on his release on Saturday night.
“I shared the relief of so many at Eli Sharabi's release earlier today but was dismayed to see his frail condition and the circumstances of his release. Having met his relatives I appreciate the deep pain they have endured and my thoughts are with them,” Starmer said in the statement.
“We must continue to see all the hostages freed. These people were ripped away from their lives in the most brutal circumstances and held in appalling conditions,” added the British Prime Minister.
“The ceasefire must hold and all efforts need to focus on full implementation of the remaining phases. This includes the return of further hostages, the continued increase of aid into Gaza and securing lasting peace in the Middle East,” he concluded.
Sharabi, Or Levy and Ohad Ben Ami were freed on Saturday morning as part of the hostage deal between Hamas and Israel. The three looked gaunt and are in poor physical health, but were forced to thank their captors for "treating" them.
A medical source who treated the three released hostages said their condition does not differ from the condition of the Jews who suffered in the Nazi concentration camps.
Dr. Hagar Mizrahi, head of the Health Ministry's General Medicine Division, said, "We all saw the images of significant malnutrition, which was obvious and proved the horrors that the returning captives suffered in captivity. We saw significant weight loss in the returnees - these are complex scenes for us and for the families of those returning."
She added, "We were moved to see them walking on their own, with their heads high among dozens of terrorists. Now they are united with their families. Their strength arouses great hope in all of us, for growth from the challenges."
The Prime Minister's Office said in a statement that the hostages' conditions and Hamas' violations of the deal "will not go unaddressed. The message was conveyed to the mediators and measures will be taken accordingly."