19-Year-Old Israeli Soldier Held Hostage in Hamas’s Latest Desperate Move

19-Year-Old Israeli Soldier Held Hostage in Hamas's Latest Desperate Move

Hamas Releases Video of Israeli Soldier Captive for Over 450 Days

A new video of an Israeli soldier, held captive by the Hamas for over 450 days, was released by the Palestinian militant group. The 19-year-old soldier, Liri Albag, was kidnapped by the Hamas during an attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, and taken from her post in the Nahal Oz area near the Gaza Strip.

According to media reports, Albag was part of a military observation team that had warned her superiors of suspicious activities in the Gaza Strip before the Hamas attack, but their warnings were ignored.

The family of the captive initially refused to allow the release of the three-and-a-half-minute video, only sharing a still image with the caption in Arabic: “I have been a prisoner in Gaza for more than 450 days.” The image suggests the video was recorded recently, but the circumstances of its creation remain unknown.

The family of the captive expressed their distress in a statement, saying, “The video released today has shattered our hearts. This is not the same daughter and sister we know. She is in a bad state, and her obvious mental struggle is a concern.”

In Israel, thousands of people gathered in a protest on Friday, demanding a prisoner exchange and criticizing the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for allegedly scuttling a ceasefire with the Hamas and the release of captives. Netanyahu denied these claims, and the protest turned violent, with six people reported arrested by the police.

The release of the new video coincided with ongoing prisoner negotiations in Doha, where Qatari mediators were meeting with an Israeli delegation and Hamas representatives to overcome the ongoing differences between the warring parties.