Hamas releases new video of Israeli hostage, Netanyahu under pressure

Last Updated on January 8, 2025 6:13 am

Hamas’ armed wing has released a video of a young Israeli woman named Liri Albag, who is being held hostage in Gaza, Palestine. The new video was released yesterday, Saturday. The exact date of the video could not be verified.

This is the latest in a series of videos released by Hamas of Israeli hostages taken to Gaza on October 7, 2023.

In the video, 19-year-old Liri says that she has been held for more than 450 days. The three-and-a-half-minute video was not dated. However, the video is believed to be recent.

Hamas and Israel have resumed talks on a ceasefire and the release of hostages in Doha, Qatar, since Friday. Hamas has put pressure on the Israeli administration by releasing the video of the hostage.

Lily’s parents appealed to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the government to make a decision on the hostages, saying, “Remember that your children are there too.”

In a statement, the family said they could not breathe after watching the video sent by Hamas.

It called on Netanyahu to “bring Liri back to us alive. It depends only on you (Netanyahu).”

Liri was working as a security guard in the Israeli army before being captured by Hamas. Liri was stationed at the Nahal Oz military base when thousands of Hamas fighters crossed the border into Israel. At that time, Hamas immediately attacked and killed 15 security guards and kidnapped Liri along with six others in Gaza.

On October 7 last year, the Palestinian independence movement Hamas launched an attack on southern Israel. According to Israeli official figures, 1,207 people were killed in the attack. Hamas took 251 hostages and took them to Gaza. The number of hostages in Gaza now stands at 97. Of these, 34 are confirmed dead. But their bodies remain in Gaza.

Israel has been conducting an indiscriminate attack on Gaza since October 7 last year. According to Gaza’s health ministry, more than 45,500 Palestinians have been killed in the ongoing Israeli offensive.

More than 100,000 have been injured. Most of Gaza’s 2.3 million people have been displaced and much of the small enclave has been reduced to rubble.

On Thursday, Netanyahu approved a delegation to resume Gaza ceasefire talks. But he has publicly denied any permanent end to the war.