The Qassam Brigades released a video showing 24-year-old Israeli-American hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin blaming Netanyahu and his government for the fact that he has been held captive for 200 days.
Goldberg-Polin is seen in the video with his left arm amputated after what he says was an injury during the Hamas attack on the Super Nova rave festival in southern Israel on October 7.
He states that he was born in California and moved to Israel in 2008.
“Do what we expect of you and bring us home immediately, or has this become too much for you?” he says to Netanyahu.
“You and your government should be ashamed, because you didn’t protect us and we are being ignored for 200 days,” he says while also blaming the army and air force for not only failing to save them but killing 70 hostages.
“As you sit with your families, think of us who are in hell under the earth without water, food, sun or the medical care we need,” he says still pointing to his amputated hand.
In his message he also states that the government does not accept any of the deals that have been proposed to it and asks his family to remain strong and continue to push for everyone’s return.
Hersh’s mother had met with Biden and the Pope – ‘His cry is the cry of all hostages’
Hersh’s mother, Rachel, was named by Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in the world for 2024 after meeting dozens of world leaders, including US President Joe Biden and the Pope, as part of of her mission to free her son and the other remaining hostages.
The family wrote about this while giving permission to the Israeli media to rebroadcast the video:
“Hersh’s scream is the collective scream of all the hostages. Their time is running out fast. With each passing day, the fear of more innocent lives being lost grows stronger.”
“We cannot afford to waste any more time – the hostages must be the first priority,” the family pleaded.
Watch the video
Announcement from the Hostage and Missing Persons Forum – “Time is Running Out”
The Hostage and Missing Families Forum in Israel issued a statement after the video was released, saying “time is running out” to ensure all captives are returned.
“With each passing day, the fear that more innocent lives will be lost grows stronger,” the statement said.
“All hostages must be repatriated – those alive to begin the rehabilitation process and those killed to be given a dignified burial.
“This heartbreaking video is an urgent call for swift and decisive action to resolve this horrific humanitarian crisis and ensure the safe return of our loved ones.”
Negotiations bogged down
The video comes as negotiations have effectively stalled for weeks with Israel and the US accusing Hamas of changing its original positions, which the Palestinian organization denies.
Hamas denies speculation that there are no more than 20 hostages alive
A senior Hamas source today again dismissed recently circulated claims that the group is now willing to release fewer than 20 hostages in the first phase of a truce with Israel.
The alleged offer contradicted earlier reports that the militant group would release 40 live Israeli hostages in the first phase of a temporary ceasefire deal negotiated in Cairo.
The Hamas source cited by the London-based Arabic newspaper Al-Araby Al-Jadeed also refuted speculation that there are no more than 20 hostages alive, claiming that there are at least 30 high-ranking members of the Israeli security forces in the group’s hands.
“There are no living high-ranking Israelis held by Hamas (there is one high-ranking officer who has passed away – Colonel Assaf Hammami). Hamas also refers to all Israeli men of fighting age, between the ages of 18 and 50, as members of the security forces, regardless of their status,” notes the Times of Israel.
Tags: Israel Hamas Homer Appears Video Amputated Hand Army Killed
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