Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, released a video Saturday that showed two captives in the Gaza Strip pleading with Israelis to pressure their government and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to act for their release.
“We went out for a moment to breathe fresh air and see the sky and the stars … The Israeli army decided to bomb us and hit the building I was in,” one captive said in the video.
“We escaped death, just scratches. We survived, thanks to God and thanks to the Hamas fighters who risked their lives to get us out and brought us back into the tunnels — because of you, the Israeli government,” he said.
He added: “I am once again returning 30 meters (94 feet) underground in a concrete box — without seeing sunlight, without nothing, and without hope of returning home and seeing my children and family.”
The captive urged Israelis to unite and fight for their release, and do whatever it takes to pressure the government and influence Netanyahu, emphasizing: “We are dead here.”
The second captive also pleaded: “Bring us back home.”
He added: “Don’t believe what the state is telling you. They are telling you they are pressuring Hamas — and this is the result of that pressure,” referring to the bombing and injuries sustained by the captives.
He continued: “Please, give the prisoners who returned home a chance to speak” about what they experienced in Gaza from the Israeli assault.
Al-Qassam Brigades displayed an on-screen message at the end of the video that read: “Only a ceasefire agreement brings them back alive,” implying the fate of the captives will not be included in any future prisoner exchange agreement.
Israel estimates that 59 captives remain in Gaza, including 24 who are alive. Meanwhile, Israel is holding more than 9,500 Palestinian prisoners under conditions that human rights organizations describe as harsh, citing reports of torture, mistreatment and medical neglect, which have resulted in fatalities.
More than 50,600 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza in Israel’s military onslaught since October 2023, most of them women and children.
The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants last November for Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.