The families of several female Israeli soldiers taken hostage in a Hamas-led attack on October 7 have released video of their kidnapping in an effort to pressure the Israeli government to restore Ceasefire negotiations appear to be stalling to pave the way for the release of detainees. .
According to the Forum of Hostages and Missing Families, which represents the families of hostages held in Gaza, family members first saw the footage several weeks ago through the Israeli military. The army officially gave them a copy on Tuesday night.
“I ask you, please show this clip every day, open your broadcasts with it,” said Eli Albag, whose daughter Liri Albag can be seen in the videosaid in a television interview with Israel’s Channel 12. “Until someone woke up, the country woke up and realized they had been abandoned there for 229 days.”
Some Israeli politicians immediately took advantage of these images to try to refute the decisions of Ireland, Norway and Spain to Unilateral recognition of the Palestinian state. Foreign Minister Israel Katz said he would show this video during a “stern reprimand” of the countries’ ambassadors.
In a three-minute edited video collection, verified by the New York Times, Palestinian militants, some wearing Hamas headbands, can be seen tying the hands of five Israeli women on guard duty. at Nahal Oz, a military base near a Hamas military base. Gaza border. At least two of the hostages had bloody faces. Militants constantly threaten women.
One of the warriors called the women “dogs” and vowed to crush them. One of the women could be heard telling the militants that she had “a friend in Palestine,” even as another begged to know whether any of them spoke English.
Negotiations aimed at securing the release of more than 125 hostages still being held in Gaza, some of them, have been deadlocked since Israel began attacking the southern city of Rafah in early May. Israeli forces operations in northern Gaza recovered the bodies of four Israelis kidnapped on October 7, adding to concerns for the remaining captives.
The Hostage and Missing Families Forum identified the Israeli hostage soldiers in the video as Naama Levy, Agam Berger, Liri Albag, Karina Ariev and Daniela Gilboa, all aged 19 or 20. The footage was recorded by body cameras of kidnapped Hamas militants. this organization said.
The families of the hostages met with senior Israeli leaders on Wednesday, including Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and Benny Gantz, a member of the country’s war cabinet, in a lobbying effort to achieve an immediate agreement with Hamas.
The Hostage and Missing Families Forum said in a statement: “The video is a clear demonstration of the nation’s failure to bring home the hostages, who have been abandoned for 229 days ”.
In a statement on social media, Mr. Gantz said he was appalled by footage of the kidnapping of five hostages and vowed to make “difficult decisions” if necessary to get the remaining captives in Gaza. go home.
Yair Lapid, leader of the opposition in Israel’s parliament, said the video was “a reminder to the world of the evil we are fighting in Gaza.”
