Politics Hamas publishes hostage video with Israeli soldier
Islamist Hamas has released a propaganda video showing an Israeli soldier held hostage by the terrorists in the Gaza Strip. In the three-minute recording, which Hamas published on its Telegram channel, the young soldier appeals to politicians in Israel and the USA to do everything they can to free the hostages remaining in Gaza by reaching an agreement with the Islamists.
07.03.2025, 21:01
SDA
The young man's family agreed to the publication of the video in Israeli media. In a statement released by the Hostage Relatives Forum, the family said: "We are shocked by the video (...) in which we saw our Matan exhausted and desperate after 518 days in Hamas tunnels." The stiff right arm and other visible physical injuries were evidence of torture in captivity. "What more proof is needed that the time (for freeing the hostages) has run out?"
The video shows the soldier in a brown military jacket without rank or other insignia against a neutral black background. He holds his right arm in front of his chest without moving it. According to the family, which relies on information from released former hostages, he was injured in the right arm during his violent abduction on October 7, 2023. The injury was never treated medically while he was held hostage.
According to Israeli information, 24 live hostages and 35 bodies of abductees are still being held in the Gaza Strip. The live hostages were to be released in the second phase of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, the first phase of which began on January 19 and ended last Saturday. Indirect negotiations on the structure of the second phase have not yet begun. It is therefore unclear how long both sides will feel bound to the continuation of the ceasefire. In this respect, the fate of the remaining hostages is also uncertain.
