The parents of an American-Israeli hostage featured in Hamas’ latest propaganda video say it is “amazing” to see their son alive, but “extremely shocked” to learn he is still being held more than six months later. It’s painful,” he said.
In a video released Wednesday, 23-year-old Hersh Goldberg-Polin, emaciated and with his arm blown off, was seen for the first time since he was kidnapped at the Supernova music festival on October 7.
“At first I was just crying,” said Rachel Goldberg-Pollin, Hirsch’s mother. told NBC News The family’s first reaction to the video.
“This was great validation,” the 54-year-old mother said.
“On the one hand, we’re looking at him. He’s in captivity and he’s clearly suffering from losing his dominant arm,” she said of his left leg, which was blown off below the elbow by a grenade. .
“He certainly doesn’t look like himself,” added Hersh’s father, John Pollin.
“But it was amazing to watch him, and it was amazing to see him be himself and speak clearly and forcefully. So there’s a lot of mixed messages.”
Until Wednesday, the last image his parents saw of their son was a grainy video of him being loaded into the bed of a truck, his left arm bone exposed and bloodied.
NBC said the family received a 45-minute notice from Israeli and U.S. intelligence agencies Wednesday that the video would be released.
Qatar, which is mediating negotiations between Israel and Hamas, received the footage several days ago and handed it over to the US government, a person familiar with the matter told the outlet.
The Biden administration received the video on Monday and has contacted the family, the U.S. official added.
The White House is operating under the assumption that the five American hostages are still alive.
President Biden on Thursday renewed his call for the “immediate release” of all hostages being held in the Gaza Strip.
Hersh’s family does not know whether his video was scripted or whether he spoke his own words as he asked the Israeli government to negotiate his release.
“I was just looking at him and hearing his voice,” Rachel told NBC about how she first absorbed the footage.
Although Hirsch spoke in Hebrew in the video, Rachel noted that the family primarily speaks English at home.
However, more than six months later, they were willing to “take their word for it,” especially when Hirsch mentioned his parents and two younger sisters.
Rachel told NBC that both girls were “devastated” when they heard their names.
“Seeing that video further fuels the fire that we need to get behind all the leaders around the world, all the leaders in the region, all the people who have been involved in the negotiations,” John added.
“We have to get all these people home.”
“He went to a concert with his friends and his life was taken from him and our lives were taken from him,” Rachel said.
“And his scars will be permanently disabled. I want him to go home.”
Meanwhile, his family is dealing with the “slow motion” trauma that defined the last six months of his life.
“The time has come to diffuse and release the pressure and tension in the region and put an end to all suffering,” Rachel said.
“We always say that hope is a must. So it’s really not a choice. It’s an obligation.”
