Hamas has released a video purportedly showing Israeli-American hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin, 23, who has been held captive in Gaza since October 7, 2022. In the video, Goldberg-Polin appears gravely wounded, missing a hand, and describes the hostages’ living conditions as “hell.” He says they have been living “under the ground without water, without food, without sun, without the medical care that I need so much for a long, long time.”
Goldberg-Polin implores Israeli officials to prioritize the hostages’ release and expresses concern for their deteriorating health conditions. He says, “I know you are doing everything for me to return home as soon as possible. I need you to stay strong for me and not stop fighting until I and each and every one of the hostages return home safely.”
Hamas’s Telegram account posted the footage, highlighting Goldberg-Polin’s criticism of Prime Minister Netanyahu’s crisis management and the military’s failed attempts to secure the captives’ release. The video has garnered attention as Goldberg-Polin’s family and the Hostages and Missing Families Forum campaign group advocate for his safe return.
Israel estimates 129 of the roughly 250 people abducted during the Hamas attack on October 7 remain in Gaza, including 34 who the military says are dead. The Hamas attack resulted in the deaths of 1,170 people, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures. It triggered the deadliest war between Hamas and Israel, with Netanyahu vowing to eliminate the militant group that rules Gaza. In Israel’s blistering military offensive in Gaza, 34,262 people have been killed, most of them women and children, according to the territory’s health ministry.
