Hamas has released a video featuring an Israeli-American man held captive in the Gaza Strip during Israel’s war on the enclave. This has sparked new protests urging the Israeli government to take further action to secure the release of the captives.
The video, released by the Palestinian group, shows Hersh Goldberg-Polin, who had been taken captive by Hamas-led fighters during the Tribe of Nova music festival in southern Israel on October 7. In the video, part of his left arm appeared to be missing, which witnesses say he lost when attackers threw grenades into a shelter where people were seeking refuge. Before being taken by Hamas, he had tied a tourniquet around his arm.
Although the video did not have a date, Goldberg-Polin referenced the week-long Jewish holiday of Passover, which began on Monday.
Qatar, acting as a mediator between Hamas and Israel, passed the video to the United States and Israel on Monday, two days before its public release, according to sources quoted by the Axios news website. The US administration, under President Joe Biden, had asked Qatar for assistance in confirming the well-being of Goldberg-Polin and other American captives.
In the video, Goldberg-Polin claimed that about 70 captives had been killed in Israel’s bombings of Gaza. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, a group representing captives and their families, called for swift action to bring home all captives and end the humanitarian crisis.
Protests have erupted in Israel, calling on the government to do more to secure the release of the captives and end the war in Gaza. Goldberg-Polin’s parents, along with supporters, are pleading for a resolution and the safe return of their loved ones.
Goldberg-Polin’s parents urge world leaders involved in negotiations to act decisively and reunite the captives with their families. They express concern for their son’s health and well-being, as well as that of the other captives.
Since October 7, at least 34,262 Palestinians have been killed and 77,229 wounded in Israeli attacks on Gaza, while the death toll in Israel from Hamas’s attacks stands at 1,139, with dozens still held captive in Gaza.