Hamas has shared a video of 19-year-old Israeli soldier Liri Albag, who has been held hostage in Gaza since the October 2023 attack. The video, which lasts three and a half minutes, shows Albag calling on the Israeli government to secure her release. The footage, which has not been independently verified by AFP, was released on Saturday by the armed wing of Hamas, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades.
In the video, Albag, captured when she was 18 years old at the Nahal Oz base on the Gaza border, appeals for her freedom. Along with six other female soldiers, she was abducted during the violent attack, and five of them remain in captivity. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, a group representing the families of hostages, stated that Albag’s family had not authorized the release of the video.
Her family, in a statement, urged Israeli leaders to act with urgency, saying, “We appeal to the prime minister, world leaders, and all decision-makers: it’s time to take decisions as if it were your own children there.”
The forum, which has been a vocal advocate for the hostages’ release, emphasized the importance of this video as clear evidence of the immediate need to bring the captives home. Over 250 Israelis were taken hostage during the 2023 attack, and 96 of them remain in Gaza. The Israeli military has confirmed that 34 of the hostages have died.
While indirect negotiations for a ceasefire and hostage release have been ongoing in Qatar, no significant updates have been provided. Qatar, Egypt, and the United States have been involved in months of mediation efforts, but a truce has not been reached.
In the wake of the release of the video, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum continues to pressure Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for a resolution. Critics of the government accuse Netanyahu of stalling negotiations. The forum, in response to the recent video, called it “firm and incontestable proof of the urgency of bringing the hostages home.”
Israeli negotiators have been authorized to take part in the latest round of talks in Qatar, as Israel seeks to secure the release of its citizens still held captive.
Sources By Agencies
