The armed wing of Hamas, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, launched a video Saturday displaying an Israeli-Russian hostage who appeared to have been injured in a strike on the Palestinian territory.
Within the undated four-minute video, the hostage, carrying bandages on his head and left arm spoke in Hebrew, implying he had been wounded in a latest Israeli bombardment.
AFP and Israeli media recognized the hostage as Russian-Israeli Maxim Herkin, who turns 37 a the top of Could. His household urged media to not disseminate the video.
He referred to himself solely as “Prisoner 24” within the footage and was not recognized by Hamas.
He was proven mendacity on the bottom and referred to Israel’s Independence Day celebrations on Thursday as upcoming, suggesting the video was filmed shortly beforehand.
AFP was unable to find out the well being of Herkin, who gave an identical message to different hostages proven in movies launched by Hamas, urging stress on the Israeli authorities to free the remaining captives.
Militants within the territory nonetheless maintain 58 hostages seized in Hamas’s October 2023 assault on Israel. The military says 34 of them are lifeless. Hamas can be holding the stays of an Israeli soldier killed in a earlier struggle in Gaza in 2014.
– ‘Coming dwelling’ –
Herkin additionally appeared in a earlier video launched by Hamas in early April, carrying a small bandage on his proper wrist and a bandage on his cheek and ear. In that video, he appeared alongside a second hostage Israeli media recognized as soldier Bar Kuperstein.
Palestinian militants had kidnapped the 2 males from the Nova music competition throughout the Hamas assault which resulted within the deaths of 1,218 folks on the Israeli aspect, principally civilians, in line with an AFP tally primarily based on official figures.
A truce in Gaza between Israel and Hamas got here into drive on January 19, largely halting greater than 15 months of combating. Through the six-week ceasefire militants handed over 33 hostages, eight of them lifeless.
Israel resumed main operations throughout Gaza on March 18 amid impasse over subsequent steps within the ceasefire.
The well being ministry in Hamas-run Gaza stated on Saturday that not less than 2,396 folks have been killed since Israel resumed its marketing campaign in Gaza, bringing the general dying toll for the reason that struggle broke out to 52,495.
The Israeli authorities says its renewed offensive goals to drive Hamas to free the remaining captives, though critics cost that it places them in mortal hazard.
Because the finish of the truce, Hamas has launched a number of movies of hostages. The newest pictures come as efforts by mediators to dealer a brand new truce have stalled.
Herkin, had emigrated to Israel from Ukraine along with his mom.
Earlier than being taken from the Nova competition, Herkin, father of a younger lady, had written to his mom: “All is properly. I am coming dwelling.”
str-csp/kir
Source link