Elad Katzir, an Israeli farmer held hostage in Gaza for over three months, was seen pleading for his freedom in a video posted on-line by the Palestinian group Islamic Jihad on Monday.
Hamas, which guidelines Gaza, and its smaller rival Islamic Jihad, have periodically launched movies of hostages taken throughout Hamas’ Oct. 7 cross-border rampage into southern Israel.
“I used to be near dying greater than as soon as, it is a miracle I’m nonetheless alive,” Katzir mentioned, a black and yellow Islamic Jihad flag hung from a wall behind him. “I need to inform my household that I really like them very a lot and I miss them very a lot,” he mentioned, earlier than pausing to choke again tears.
Typically, hostage movies have been filmed in entrance of a wall in poor lighting, with captives reciting calls for his or her launch. The males, like Katzir within the newest video, typically have full beards. The Israeli navy has mentioned the movies quantity to “psychological terror”.
More than 130 hostages stay in Gaza, most believed to be in Hamas arms, after greater than 100 had been launched throughout a short-lived truce in late November.
Israel says it can press on with its devastating navy offensive in Gaza till Hamas is worn out, all captives are freed and the Palestinian enclave poses no extra safety risk. Hamas has mentioned it can launch no extra hostages at the least till Israel halts the conflict.
Katzir, 47, was snatched by militants from the agricultural kibbutz of Nir Oz. His father was killed in his residence there throughout Hamas’ incursion and his mom was additionally taken hostage. She was amongst these later freed throughout the truce. Katzir appeared in an analogous video from captivity final month.
Katzir was interviewed by Reuters in 2018 whereas working within the fields and spoke in regards to the risk he and his neighbors felt from Hamas throughout the close by border in Gaza.
“There is an opportunity {that a} sniper from the opposite facet is watching me and I’m already in his sights,” Katzir mentioned on the time. “Instead of caring for the welfare of individuals in Gaza they cope with terror and in find out how to hurt us.”