Hamas armed wing releases video of apparently injured Israeli hostage
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In the undated four-minute video, “Prisoner 24“ implied he had been wounded in a recent Israeli bombardment.
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JERUSALEM - The armed wing of Hamas, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, released a video on May 3 showing what appeared to be an Israeli hostage injured in a strike on Gaza.
In the undated four-minute video, which AFP has not been able to verify, the hostage, wearing bandages on his head and left arm, spoke in Hebrew, implying he had been wounded in a recent Israeli bombardment.
AFP and Israeli media identified the hostage as Russian-Israeli Maxim Herkin, who turns 37 at the end of May. His family urged the media not to disseminate the video.
He referred to himself only as “Prisoner 24” in the footage and was not identified by Hamas.
He was shown lying on the ground and referred to Israel’s Independence Day celebrations on May 1 as upcoming, suggesting that the video was filmed shortly beforehand.
AFP was unable to determine the health of Mr Herkin, who gave a similar message to other hostages shown in videos released by Hamas, urging pressure on the Israeli government to free the remaining captives.
Militants in the territory still hold 58 hostages seized in Hamas’ October 2023 attack
Mr Herkin had appeared in a previous video released by Hamas in early April, wearing a small bandage on his right wrist and a bandage on his cheek and ear.
In that video, he appeared alongside a second hostage Israeli media named as soldier Bar Kuperstein.
Palestinian militants had abducted the two men from the Nova music festival during the Hamas attack which resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people on the Israeli side, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.
A truce in Gaza
During the six-week ceasefire, militants handed over 33 hostages, eight of them dead. Israel resumed major operations across Gaza
The Health Ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said on May 3 that at least 2,396 people have been killed since Israel resumed its campaign in Gaza, bringing the overall death toll since the war broke out to 52,495.
The Israeli government says its renewed offensive aims to force Hamas to free the remaining captives, although critics charge it puts them in mortal danger.
Since the end of the truce, Hamas has released several videos of hostages. The latest images come as efforts by mediators to broker a new truce have stalled.
Mr Herkin had migrated to Israel from Ukraine with his mother.
Before being taken from the Nova festival, Mr Herkin, the father of a young girl, had written to his mother: “All is well. I’m coming home.” AFP
