New Delhi: Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, released a video on Saturday showing a 19-year-old Israeli soldier Liri Albag, who has been held in Gaza since the October 2023 Hamas attack. The video, which lasts for three and a half minutes. In the recording, Albag pleads in Hebrew for the Israeli government to secure her release, AFP reported. However, the authenticity of the video cannot be verified.
Albag’s family, represented by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, has said that they did not authorise the video’s release. In a statement, the family urged Israeli leaders, as well as world decision-makers, to act decisively. They said it is important to treat the situation as if it involved their own children. At the time of her capture, Albag was 18, seized along with six other female conscripts from the Nahal Oz base on the Gaza border. Five of her fellow conscripts are still being held captive.
While we hope for the release of Israeli captive Liri Albag, as well as thousands of Palestinian prisoners, let us not forget she served in a surveillance and sniper unit on Gaza’s border, killing and maiming hundreds of peaceful protesters in Gaza. pic.twitter.com/9ZbhiGaRQi
— Ramy Abdu| رامي عبده (@RamAbdu) January 4, 2025
Hamas, Islamic Jihad share new footage
The video release is part of a broader pattern, with Hamas and its ally Islamic Jihad having previously shared footage of Israeli hostages since the onset of the conflict, which has now spanned nearly 15 months. A total of 251 hostages were taken during the October 2023 attack, with 96 still held in Gaza, according to Israeli military reports. It has been confirmed that 34 of the hostages have died.
Meanwhile, indirect negotiations between Hamas and Israel regarding a potential truce and hostage release deal resumed on Friday night in Qatar. However, there have been no updates on the outcome. Despite efforts by mediators from Qatar, Egypt and the United States, these discussions have failed to bring an end to the ongoing war.
Families protest Netanyahu’s delay
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum has continued its pressure campaign with weekly demonstrations, the most recent of which took place in Tel Aviv. They have criticised Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, accusing him of delaying the negotiations for a hostage release. Netanyahu’s office said on Thursday that Israeli negotiators had been authorised to join the latest round of talks in Qatar.
