the.com/hostages
means a person held captive to force someone else to do or not do something.
from from old french hostage, itself from latin obses, meaning one who stays behind as a pledge; medieval nobles literally traded children to guarantee treaties.
medieval practicekings swapped sons as living peace treaties
stockholm syndromenamed after a 1973 bank standoff, not war
legal statusprotected under geneva conventions since 1949
negotiation rulepolice trained to never say the word no
for instance
iran hostage crisis — 52 americans held 444 days, 1979-1981
entebbe raid — israeli commandos freed 102 hostages, uganda, 1976
munich olympics — 11 israeli athletes taken and killed, 1972
october 7 hostages — 251 people abducted into gaza, 2023