The family of Israeli hostage Rom Braslavski disclosed on Sunday that they allowed a recent propaganda video from the Palestinian Islamic Jihad to be published, showing Braslavski appearing emaciated.
The group warned that the 22-year-old is at a critical point, near death.
While the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) and Hamas are separate organizations with different leaders and ideologies, they often collaborate. Both groups focus on resisting Israeli occupation, which sometimes aligns their military actions and messaging.
In the footage, Braslavski is shown lying on a mattress. At one moment, he directly addresses the camera, stating, “I am suffering with pain that doesn’t look good.”
“I don’t have any more food or water. Before they would give me a little bit, today there is nothing,” he shared. “Only three pieces of falafel, that’s what I ate today. Yesterday I barely ate a plate of rice. Bring in food, a liter of water. I am on the verge of death.”
In the video, he also pleads with the Israeli government to put an end to the war in Gaza, echoing messages found in other videos from hostages released by Hamas and its affiliates.
“I can’t sleep, I can’t live, you have to stop what you’re doing here. Why are you doing this to us? Bring in food. I am surviving on less than a liter of water. Just give us food, if not for the Gaza Strip, then for the hostages.”
Rom’s mother, Tami Braslavski, shared with Israeli media her inability to cope normally since the video’s release.
“My heart is shattered, and my mind is consumed all day with thoughts and overwhelming worry for Rom,” she expressed. “I tried to suppress the reality, but when I watched the video, reality hit me. When you hear him saying these things out loud, it becomes truth despite how difficult it is to believe.”
She continued, “Rom has become so emaciated that his body can barely support itself. Every bone in his body aches. He can’t sit, lie down, or stand because he’s so painfully thin — nothing but skin and bones. His vision is failing, and he needs glasses, which he doesn’t have there. When I look into Rom’s eyes, I see tears streaming down his face, and I cry with him.”
Braslavski’s father, Ofir, stated, “What can I say? He’s dying. You’re watching your son dying before your eyes and there’s nothing you can do.”
Ofir described a recent conversation with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regarding his son’s condition, urging him to prioritize a deal for the release of the remaining hostages, including Rom.
“I told him, he’s dying and… to stop everything… and give [the Islamist terrorists] what they want, to get the hostages out,” he recounted. He mentioned that Netanyahu said he was doing all he could, but Ofir replied, “I don’t buy it… The fact is that there’s no progress.”
Rom was taken at the Nova Music Festival on October 7, 2023. He remains one of 20 hostages presumed alive in Gaza. It’s known that Hamas does not solely hold all hostages, and some have been transferred to PIJ or affiliated groups. These groups may use hostages for propaganda or to enhance their profiles, which could explain how this video fits into their strategy.
Meanwhile, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum has been pressing Netanyahu’s government to engage actively in negotiations, even as talks have struggled to make progress with Hamas.
After reports emerged about Netanyahu’s plan to expand military operations in Gaza, the Forum issued a statement expressing concern, suggesting that it would put remaining hostages at risk, since Hamas has indicated they would kill hostages if there was a military attempt to rescue them.
“For 22 months, we’ve been sold the illusion that military pressure would bring the hostages home,” the Forum stated. “The expansion of the war endangers hostages who are already facing immediate death.”
