Hamas releases a hostage video featuring Alon Ohel, a German-Israeli citizen
In a shocking development, Hamas, the Palestinian militant group, has released a hostage video featuring German-Israeli musician Alon Ohel and Israeli hostage Guy Gilboa-Dalal. Both individuals were abducted from the Nova Music Festival on October 7, 2023.
The video, published by Hamas' armed wing, the Al-Kassam Brigades, shows Gilboa-Dalal, who is 22 years old, and Ohel, a German citizen among the hostages, in chains. Ohel, who has been in chains since October 7, has not received treatment for his severe eye injuries, shrapnel in his body, hunger, and physical and psychological abuse.
The nearly four-minute clip shows a hostage being driven through a destroyed neighborhood in a car. However, the authenticity and recording date of the footage could not be verified by AFP.
The video was recorded on August 28, just before the start of the Israeli offensive, according to Gilboa-Dalal. In the video, Gilboa-Dalal pleads with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to withdraw his order for a military offensive in Gaza City.
The hostage situation comes amidst escalating tensions in the region. Hamas and its allies triggered the war with their raid on Israel, leading to a large-scale attack that has resulted in the death of more than 1200 people. In the entire coastal strip, 32 people were killed, and at least 19 people were killed in Israeli air strikes in Gaza, according to Hamas Civil Defense.
Israel controls 40 percent of Gaza City, and the Israeli army has increased pressure on Hamas. The Israeli government has accused Hamas spokesman Mahmud Bassal of being an "active terrorist."
German Ambassador to Israel, Steffen Seibert, has stated that he will not share the videos of Alon Ohel and Gilboa-Dalal. The German diplomat, Friedrich Merz, has been advocating for the release of Alon Ohel and Guy Gilboa-Dalal.
As of now, 47 people are still being held by Hamas in the coastal strip. The figures of more than 64,000 people killed cannot be independently verified. The international community continues to urge both sides for a ceasefire and a peaceful resolution to the conflict.
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