Who is Matan Tsangauker, the Prisoner at the Center of Abu Obeida’s Warning?
The Israeli prisoner identified by Abu Obeida on Saturday is Matan Tsangauker—captured on October 7 and featured in a December 2024 video where he blamed Netanyahu and described harsh detention conditions.
On Saturday, Abu Obeida, the spokesperson of the Al-Qassam Brigades—the military wing of the Palestinian Resistance movement Hamas—revealed that Israeli forces are currently besieging the location where a captive is being held.
Abu Obeida warned that the Israeli army will be responsible for his death if he is killed during any rescue attempt.
“We preserved his life for a year and eight months,” Abu Obeida said, “and if he dies now, it will be on the occupation.”
The captive was identified with Matan Tsangauker, who was captured on October 7, 2023.
Tsangauker is not unknown to the public. In December 2024, Al-Qassam released a video recording of him speaking from captivity.
In the video, Tsangauker directly blamed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the continued failure to secure the captives’ release and described in detail the harsh and degrading conditions he and others were facing inside Gaza.
📹 This is a video released by Al-Qassam in December 2024.
It shows Matan Tsangauker, the Israeli prisoner Abu Obeida referred to today.
He pleaded for his life, blamed Netanyahu, and described dire detention conditions.
🎥 Watch here ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/Exh31G6MEO
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) June 7, 2025
“I heard about your new plan to bring us home, and your offer of $5 million for anyone who brings us back safely,” he said in the recording.
“I am deeply frustrated because you have proven that you do not know your enemies or their motives. This reflects your failure and the failure of the government since October 7.”
In the recording, Tsangauker also addressed the Israeli public, calling on them to protest: “Don’t let (Netanyahu) sleep for a minute. We are suffering, and it is more appropriate for him and his family to suffer like us.”
Tsangauker described his life in captivity as filled with fear, deprivation, and isolation: “We live with little food, undrinkable water, limited medicine, rats, spiders, and no soap. Isolation is killing us.”
He ended the message with a plea to his family, especially his mother, expressing hope to one day sit with her again at the same table to eat, drink, and talk.
(PC, AJA)