Rachel Goldberg-Pauline, the mother of Hirsch Goldberg-Polin, a dual citizen of Israel and the United States, has expressed hope that her son will return home soon after he was kidnapped by Hamas militants on October 7. The Kan-11 television channel reported that a video of the hostage was released by the terrorist group as part of “psychological warfare,” and was received by the White House and the FBI.
The video is currently being studied by a group of experts at the Federal Bureau of Investigation who specialize in hostage situations. They are analyzing the footage to extract any information that may be helpful in the future. A source from the White House confirmed that they received the video two days prior to the report.
Hirsch mentions in the video that he was held for “almost 200 days” and describes failed attempts at securing his release. He also repeats Hamas’ claims that Israeli airstrikes have killed dozens of hostages like him and accuses the Israeli government of refusing to negotiate for his release. The video is currently being studied by experts who are trying to determine when it was filmed, but it is clear that Hirsch’s left arm is missing below