Hamas releases video of three hostages and says it will reveal their fate
Hamas has released a video showing three hostages it says are being held in Gaza. Hamas says it will announce their fate soon, in an apparent attempt to put more pressure on Israeli authorities to secure their release, perhaps through a new ceasefire.
The video, which was released Sunday but was not dated, shows Noa Argamani, 26, Yossi Sharabi, 53, and Itai Svirsky, 38, speaking to a camera in front of a white background.
The hostages identify themselves by name in the video, which lasts just over 30 seconds. It ends with a caption that reads: “Tomorrow we will inform you of their fate.”
The video appears to have been recorded indoors, but it was not immediately possible to determine the location and time of recording. Their release could intensify a campaign by supporters of the hostages to pressure the Israeli government to secure their release.
Thousands of people gathered in Tel Aviv on Sunday for a demonstration to mark 100 days since October 7, when Hamas attacked Israel, killing about 1,200 people and taking about 240 hostage, Israeli officials said. A total of 110 hostages have since been released, many during a ceasefire in late November, in exchange for the release of about 240 Palestinians held in Israeli prisons.
It is believed that approximately 130 hostages remain in Gaza. Israel also says 25 hostages have been killed.
The fate of the hostages has become a critical issue for Israel and part of the ongoing national pain from the October 7 attacks. Families of some hostages have called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government to agree to a further ceasefire or even call off the war so their loved ones can be released.
Mr Netanyahu has said he is determined to secure the release of the hostages, calling it a “supreme task”, but that Israel will continue to fight in Gaza until it achieves a “total victory” over Hamas.
As their time in captivity grows, concerns grow over the physical and mental health of the hostages, who are believed to lack necessary medications. Some hostages suffered gunshot wounds and other injuries during the initial attack. The freed prisoners say they were not treated well.
“If urgent medical care is not provided to all hostages, the result could be irreversible health problems at best and death at worst,” said Hagai Levine, an Israeli doctor who works with the hostages' families. “Every day that passes is crucial.”