Hamas has released a video featuring one of the Israeli hostages 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, a result of an attack by Hamas on October 7.
In the video, Goldberg-Polin addressed Netanyahu directly, 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 along with approximately 129 other Israeli hostages. Reports indicate that some hostages 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. Goldberg-Polin accused the government of abandoning the talks for over two hundred days and also criticized the Israeli Air Force for allegedly killing 70 hostages in bombings.
Following her son’s video, 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 as well as that of the other hostages. Amidst 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.
Overall, this incident highlights the ongoing conflict between Israelis and Palestinians and raises concerns about human rights violations committed by both sides.