Hamas Releases Propaganda Video of Captured American Israeli

Hamas released a propaganda video on Wednesday featuring 23-year-old American Israeli hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin, who was abducted from the Supernova music festival near Kibbutz Re’im on October 7. The video shows Goldberg-Polin missing part of his left arm, which was blown off by a grenade during the initial attack. In the video, Goldberg-Polin identifies himself and his date of birth (mistranslated in the subtitles provided by Hamas) and makes an emotional plea for his release, suggesting the footage was recorded recently—almost 200 days into his captivity.

Goldberg-Polin expresses sharp criticism of the Israeli government’s handling of the hostage situation, echoing other hostages in previous Hamas propaganda videos, which Israeli government spokespeople have decried as psychological warfare.

The Israeli government estimates that 33 of the original 253 hostages taken might be deceased. In the video, Goldberg-Polin charges that almost 70 hostages may have been killed in Israeli Air Force bombings.

A statement from the Hostages Families Forum Headquarters emphasized the dire situation for the remaining hostages and called for immediate action to ensure their return. “We cannot afford to waste any more time; the hostages must be the top priority. All the hostages must be brought home—those alive to begin the process of rehabilitation, and those murdered for a dignified burial,” the statement said.

Goldberg-Polin’s plight has galvanized public support, with a large-scale international campaign demanding his safe return. His mother, Rachel Goldberg-Polin, recognized by Time magazine as one of the world’s most influential people for her advocacy, has been a prominent voice in this campaign, engaging global leaders to pressure for the hostages’ release.

In response to the video released by Hamas, Goldberg-Polin’s parents, Jon and Rachel, released a video of their own saying:  “Seeing the video of Hersh today is overwhelming. We are relieved to see him alive but we are also concerned about his health and wellbeing as well as that of all the other hostages and all of those suffering in this region. We are here today with a plea to all of the leaders of the parties who have been negotiating to date. This includes Qatar, Egypt, the United States, Hamas, and Israel: Be brave, lean in, seize this moment, and get a deal done to reunite all of us with our loved ones and end the suffering in this region. Hersh, we heard your voice today for the first time in 201 days and if you can hear us, we are telling you, we love you, stay strong, survive.”