Disturbing new footage released by Palestinian terrorists on Monday shows a haggard-looking Israeli hostage sobbing at times as he criticizes the Israeli prime minister and begs for a new prisoner exchange.
Farmer Elad Katzir, 47, appeared in a propaganda video released by Islamic Jihad, identifying himself as one of the dozens of Israelis kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7, and in January. He said he was being held by the same organization as of the 5th.
In the video, Mr. Qatzi blamed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for his months-long detention in Gaza. The Times of Israel reported.
Kazzi's mother, Hanna, was released in the November ceasefire, but her father died in the October 7 massacre.
“Bibi Netanyahu, I send a message to you and all your ministers: You have abandoned me,” Katsir said in the video.
“I almost died many times. It's a miracle I'm still alive,” he added. “I want to tell my family that I love them so much and that I miss them so much.”
The hostage was seen weeping as he claimed to have witnessed the death of his friend, a Tamil Adal soldier who had been injured and taken hostage during the Hamas invasion.
Adal's mother, Yael, confirmed his death on Saturday and blamed the Israeli response on October 7, when her son was wounded and captured while serving in an emergency unit in Nir Oz.
Katsir also called on Israel to halt fighting in Gaza and agree to a new wave of hostage exchanges that would free more than 130 people held by Hamas.
This is the second time Katsir has appeared in an Islamic Jihad propaganda video, with the farmer previously seen making similar comments last month, along with fellow hostage Gadi Mozes. .
A Dec. 20 video showed both Katsir and Moses pleading with the IDF that they could die at any moment because of constant Israeli shelling in Gaza.
Israeli authorities have denounced the hostage video released by Hamas and Islamic Jihad as propaganda and “psychological warfare.”
As of Monday, little evidence remained to suggest that Hamas and Israel would resume hostage negotiations after talks broke down last week.
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Qatari negotiators said they had put talks on hold after Hamas killed its deputy foreign leader Saleh al-Arouri in an Israeli drone strike in Beirut.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is scheduled to meet with Israeli officials on Tuesday after meeting in Qatar in hopes of renewing the hostage negotiation agreement and preventing further war in the Middle East in Gaza.
with post wire
