Family of Israeli Captive Shares Uncensored Footage, Pleads for Action
The family of Rom Braslavski, a 21-year-old Israeli hostage held in Gaza, has released uncensored footage of him from a video published by Palestinian Islamic Jihad, offering the first visual proof of life since his abduction on October 7, 2023. Braslavski, who was working as a security guard at the Nova music festival during the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel, was taken by Islamic Jihad fighters. He is one of 59 hostages believed to still be held in the Gaza Strip.
In the newly released footage, Braslavski identifies himself and describes the dire conditions of his captivity. “I have no life, no water, no food. I’m sick. There is no medicine. There is, of course, no hospital for me,” he says. His body appears covered in red sores. “I will die and they will put me in a pit of sand,” he adds. The family said they approved publication of the unedited video “so that his cry can be heard.”
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The video, which appears to have been scripted by his captors, also contains a personal appeal. “Please, Mr. Prime Minister, get me out of here. Trump—where are you? Where are your promises?”
Braslavski’s relatives recalled his heroism during the festival attack, saying he chose to stay and help others escape, rather than save himself. “Dozens” of survivors later contacted his family to say he had encouraged or rescued them. His mother, Tami, criticized the Israeli government’s silence, saying, “It’s horrifying. … No one has picked up the phone.”
