In New Video, Injured Israeli Captive Pleads for Rescue, Condemns Netanyahu
In a video statement, an Israeli prisoner wounded in Gaza says only a negotiated deal can bring captives home and urges public protest against government inaction.
The Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Palestinian Resistance Movement Hamas, released a new video showing an Israeli prisoner who says he has been bombed twice since Israel violated the ceasefire agreement nearly two months ago.
The prisoner, who identified himself as number 24, appeared with visible injuries to his face and left arm.
In the recording, the prisoner recounted how he narrowly survived the first bombing after the fighting resumed, prompting Qassam fighters to move him into a tunnel for protection. He said he was bombed again while underground and once more barely escaped with his life.
“This is the kind of military pressure that Netanyahu and his government claim will bring us home,” the prisoner said, describing his current condition as dire. He stated that he lacks access to medication and that evacuation to a hospital is not an option.
A week earlier, the Al-Qassam Brigades had released another video showing fighters attempting to rescue Israeli captives during ongoing bombardment, though it did not include the captives’ identities.
🚨 Al-Qassam Brigades release video of Israeli captive describing how he survived an Israeli bombing of a tunnel in Gaza. He says the prisoners were bombed again while still underground, after fighting resumed. pic.twitter.com/00HkONAPGb
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) May 3, 2025
In the latest video, the prisoner mentioned a fellow captive named Bar, urging Qassam fighters to find and help him.
He also questioned how Israel could celebrate its upcoming Independence Day — a reference indicating the video was filmed before the evening of April 30 — while 59 captives remain in Gaza.
“How will you raise flags and hold barbecues? How will you celebrate?” he asked, calling on the Israeli public to take to the streets and demand action for the captives’ release.
He also criticized the Israeli leadership, saying, “No one cares where we are or what’s happening to us. Not the government, not the prime minister. We are not even on their radar.”
He pleaded with the public: “Please help us. I beg you. Don’t stay silent. Don’t let the government trap you in this situation. Our freedom depends on you.”
The prisoner acknowledged that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu might dismiss the video as “psychological warfare,” but he countered: “The real psychological warfare is what I’m living through.”
He ended his message by saying this may be the last time his family sees or hears from him.
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The video closes with a message from the Al-Qassam Brigades: “They will not leave except through a deal. Time is running out.”
This comes as the Israeli security cabinet prepares to approve an expansion of military operations in Gaza, despite increasing domestic opposition.
During Independence Day celebrations, Netanyahu reaffirmed his commitment to continuing the war until all captives — living and deceased — are returned, and until Hamas is dismantled.
Israeli Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir also said the Israeli army is ready to escalate its operations in Gaza.
(PC, AJA)