Christiane Amanpour, a CNN anchor, faced criticism on Monday after stating that Israeli hostages were “likely to have been treated better” than Palestinians in Gaza, a comment she later apologized for. The remarks came on a special edition of CNN News Central, coinciding with the release of 20 surviving Israeli hostages held by Hamas as part of a peace agreement initiated by President Donald Trump to conclude the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Amanpour told Caitlin Collins that the hostages had experienced a “terrible, terrible” situation but suggested they were treated better than the “average Gazan” due to the leverage Hamas had with these individuals. “Now Hamas has given up all its influence by abandoning them all. So this is a victory for the Israelis,” she asserted.
She also mentioned that a lot of the “fear and terror” experienced by the hostages stemmed from Israel’s actions in Gaza since they were caught in a war zone. Following the backlash, Amanpour expressed regret on CNN International, calling her initial comments “insensitive and wrong.” She acknowledged the pain inflicted upon the hostages and described horrific stories about their captivity, such as being trapped in tunnels, denied basic rights, and suffering severe maltreatment.
Amanpour emphasized that these hostages should not be used as bargaining chips and reiterated her horror about the conditions they endured. Reports indicated that many hostages, like Tal Shoham, recounted experiences of inhumane treatment, confinement in dark, cramped spaces, and physical abuse from guards.
According to reports, Hamas had also inflicted sexual violence on women during the captivity of hostages. Specific cases, like that of Amit Susana, highlighted appalling acts where she was assaulted at gunpoint. Another victim, Naama Levi, described being held under dire conditions, subjected to repeated assaults, and suffering from severe malnutrition.
The released hostages have now shared traumatic experiences and acknowledged that time spent in captivity would haunt them forever. Among the hostages freed recently, none were women. The brutal attacks by Hamas in October resulted in numerous casualties, including children, with various reports indicating that over 60,000 Palestinians and nearly 2,000 Israelis have died as the conflict persists.
