Israeli Hostage Speaks Out in Hamas Video: Criticizes Netanyahu, Calls for Immediate Release of All Captives

On Wednesday, the Islamist group Hamas released a video featuring one of the Israeli hostages held in Gaza, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, who had part of his left arm amputated. In the video, Goldberg-Polin criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government for not doing enough to secure their release. The young man appeared unrecognizable with close-cropped hair, marks on his face, and his amputated arm due to an attack by Hamas on October 7.

Goldberg-Polin addressed Netanyahu directly in the video, expressing his disappointment in the government’s lack of action to free them. He also sent a message to his family for the upcoming Passover holiday. The captive remains in Gaza with approximately 129 other Israeli hostages, with reports suggesting that some may have died.

The Israeli government has been engaged in indirect negotiations with Hamas through mediators like Qatar and Egypt to reach a truce agreement. However, these talks have not been successful thus far, with Goldberg-Polin accusing the government of abandoning them for over two hundred days. He also criticized the Israeli Air Force for allegedly killing 70 hostages in bombings.

Following her son’s video release, Goldberg-Polin’s mother and father responded with a video of their own, sending a message of love and support to their son. They expressed relief at seeing him alive but voiced concern for his health and well-being and that of the other hostages. In light of these events, Qatar reassessed its role as a mediator due to perceived attacks and lack of seriousness from parties like Israel, indicating a potential shift in the mediation process.

The release of this video puts pressure on both sides as they continue negotiations towards finding a lasting solution to this ongoing conflict between Israelis and Palestinians in Gaza Strip.