70 hostages dead?

Hamas publishes video of man without forearm

Hamas published a video of an alleged hostage on Wednesday.

(Bild: AFP)

Hamas published a video on Wednesday showing a man without a forearm. He is said to be a 24-year-old hostage. It was initially unclear whether the man spoke of his own free will or under threat.

The recording was also not dated. The man is said to have been abducted from the Nova music festival on October 7. In the video, he states that 70 hostages have already been killed by Israeli army air strikes. The Israeli government does not know how many of the people abducted in the Gaza Strip are dead or under what circumstances they died.

Hamas released a video of this man on Wednesday.

(Bild: AFP)

Hostages die away
Until a few weeks ago, it had assumed that just under 100 of the 130 hostages were still alive. It now fears that significantly more of them may no longer be alive. "The hostages are dying off; according to estimates, less than half of them are still alive," wrote the news website ynet recently.

Those who are still alive are in an "underground hell" without food, water or medical treatment, the kidnapped man said in the video. In the video, he also called on the Israeli government to bring the hostages home. So far, it has not protected its citizens and left them in the lurch.

Protest against the government in Jerusalem

(Bild: AP)

Forearm lost to grenade
The video was published by the military arm of the terrorist organization, the so-called Kassam Brigades. The 24-year-old can be seen without his forearm, which he is said to have lost to a grenade thrown into his hiding place by terrorists on October 7. According to reports, the man is an Israeli and American citizen.

His mother is campaigning internationally for his release. Among other things, she gave emotional speeches at a major rally in Washington and at the United Nations in Geneva. "We are relieved to see him alive, but we are also concerned for his health and well-being. If you can hear us, we say to you: we love you, stay strong, survive," the parents said in a statement.

Spontaneous protests
Following the release of the video, people spontaneously demonstrated for the release of the hostages in Jerusalem on Wednesday evening, including friends of the young man. This led to clashes with the police and at least four arrests. The far-right police minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who has spoken out in favor of an end to negotiations with Hamas in the past, was shouted at "shame".

Hamas has already shown footage of people being abducted from Israel on several occasions. Israel's government speaks of psychological terror against the relatives. It was initially unclear under what circumstances the video was made. The war has been going on for more than half a year (see video above).