Relatives of kidnapped Israeli women publish shocking videos to heighten pressure on Netanyahu.
A video depicts IDF personnel, all women, tied up against a wall with some sporting bruises and blood on their faces. This footage was previously released by Hamas, as reported by the Hostages Families Forum. The group had received this from the IDF, which had curated the video before to eliminate the most shocking aspects. The Hostages Families Forum articulated in a statement Wednesday: "With every fresh account of the hostages' treatment, the same heartbreaking truth remains apparent: we must reunite them with their loved ones as soon as possible."
These women were abducted during a Hamas assault on Nahal Oz, a military base in Israel near the northern Gaza Strip, as part of Hamas' attacks on Israel. The latter resulted in around 1,200 deaths and over 250 captives imprisoned within Gaza. Soon after, Israel retaliated with a war in Gaza claiming the lives of more than 35,000 Palestinians in the span of the past 7 months, as per the Palestinian Ministry of Health.
The ladies captured were employed as IDF observers, their job entailing keeping an eye on Israel's border security. The clip of their ordeal has surfaced as pressure on Netanyahu grows to secure the release of Israeli citizens still held by Hamas—a goal accessible via his government. Several negotiations to exchange hostages for a ceasefire have proven useless as of late, generating frustration among those in Israel advocating for their return.
"The State of Israel cannot tolerate a world where its citizens continue to be held at risk and agonize without respite or security," reads the Hostages Families Forum's statement from Wednesday. "With each passing moment, it becomes increasingly difficult to liberate the hostages; the living for rehabilitation and the deceased for proper burial. The Israeli administration should not lose another second; it must renew negotiations today!"
In one instance, a woman featured in the clip—Ori Megidish—was saved by the IDF via a covert operation 23 days after abduction. In a separate incident, Naama Marciano, an IDF Corporal, was killed while in Gaza and her body was conveyed back to Israel in November. Currently, five of the seven—Liri Albag, Karina Ariev, Agam Berger, Daniela Gilboa, and Naama Levy—continue to be detained in Gaza; they have been taken captive for over seven months. Nearly 100 hostages were set free during a swap in November, but the IDF figures around 130 more are still being held in Gaza.
Talks concerning a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release suffered a setback when, in January, Hamas revealed that Israel had rejected the ceasefire plan submitted by mediators during discussions in Cairo. Just a day later, the latest round of truce and hostage negotiation talks in Egypt came to an end, also without agreement.
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Following the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, the international community is urging for a peaceful resolution. The world is closely watching the situation in the Middle East, particularly the situation of the Israeli women still held captive in Gaza.
Source: edition.cnn.com
