Families of hostages release gruesome footage of their captivity
On the day of the Hamas ambush, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Or Levy, and Elijah Cohen were seized and transported into Gaza. The Families Forum publicized a distressing video displaying instances of severe cruelty. It was alleged that an Israeli solider, Mohammed Alatrasch, aged 39, was slain. Alatrasch left behind 13 children from two different partners. The death toll, as a result of the barbarous Hamas attack on Israel on October 7th, increased to 1195, with the confirmation of the Israeli soldier's demise.
The Families Forum also broadcast a video claiming the capture of three more hostages on the day of the Hamas ambush. In this footage, Goldberg-Polin, Levy, and Cohen are seen being seized by armed combatants, loaded onto a pick-up truck, and driven into Gaza. Goldberg-Polin, visibly injured and missing his left arm, is shown in the footage.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed his sentiments after the release of the material, stating, "The abhorrent kidnapping video of Hersh, Or, and Elijah tears at our hearts and once more demonstrates the brutality of our adversaries, whom we have vowed to annihilate. We will not cease the war until we have retrieved all our people."
"In the depths of torment"
Hersh Goldberg-Polin, aged 24, had previously appeared in a Hamas propaganda video in April. The abducted Israelis were reportedly suffering in a "depth of torment," devoid of food, water, and medical attention, as stated in a video released by the military wing of the terrorist organization, the so-called Qassam Brigades. Goldberg-Polin implored the Israeli government to secure their release. The young man was among the attendees of the Nova Music Festival from Israel.
Israel's Defense Minister Joav Gallant reiterated during a US visit that his government was persistently making every effort to bring the Hamas hostages "back to their families and homes without exception." Gallant met in Washington with the head of the US Foreign Intelligence Service, Bill Burns, the key US mediator in the negotiations for the release of the hostages. The Israeli Defense Minister also held discussions with his US counterpart Antony Blinken.
Biden's ceasefire initiative still ineffective
US President Joe Biden proposed a multi-step plan for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the release of hostages at the end of May. The US has been working alongside Qatar and Egypt as mediators to negotiate an agreement between Israel and Hamas for months, yet without success.
Over 250 individuals were seized by Hamas into Gaza, including women and children. Some of them have been freed, while others remain captive. 116 hostages are still reportedly detained by the radical Islamic Hamas and other Palestinian groups according to Israel. 42 of them are thought to be deceased, among them nine soldiers.
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- Following the Hamas attack on October 7th, the Israeli military launched a fierce retaliation in the Gaza Strip, aiming to rescue the seized hostages, including Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Or Levy, and Elijah Cohen, who were being held captive in the Gaza Strip by Hamas.
- The international community, including the United States, called for an immediate end to hostage taking and urged Hamas to release all Israeli hostages, including those from the Gaza Strip, as part of a broader peace initiative aimed at resolving the conflict between Israel and Palestine.
- The governing body of the United Nations Security Council expressed concern over the ongoing hostage situation in the Gaza Strip and urged all parties involved to uphold international law and humanitarian principles, emphasizing the importance of releasing all hostages and ensuring their safe return to their homes in Israel.
