Two Israeli hostages appear in video as Gaza offensive continues
Two Israeli hostages appear to be alive after nearly two years of war, a newly released video from Hamas shows. Hamas posted the video of the hostages taken during their attack on a music festival in Israel in October 2023.
Two hostages shown in video
Depicted are Guy Gilboa-Dalal and Alon Ohel, who are among the 48 remaining hostages reportedly being held in Gaza. That number has fallen from more than 250 since Hamas launched its attack on Israel, which sparked the ongoing conflict.
The video, posted Friday, shows Gilboa-Dalal sitting in different locations, including inside a car, saying he believes Hamas is not responsible for holding them captive, but that their own government shares responsibility.
Gilboa-Dalal confirmed that he has been in Gaza. The video, filmed last week, also shows damaged buildings in the background as they drive through the city.
In the more than three-minute recording, Gillboa-Dalal expressed fear about the Israeli offensive. “I am terrified of the Israeli army attacking Gaza City. This means we will die here,” he said.
Gilboa-Dalal said in the video that the date was Aug. 24, days after Israel’s Channel 12 reported that Hamas military spokesperson Abu Obeida intended to leverage hostages to block the IDF’s offensive into Gaza City. Obeida was killed in an Israeli airstrike over the weekend of Aug. 30.
Israel launched an offensive in Gaza City on Aug. 10, aiming at what officials describe as Hamas’ final stronghold in the area. By Sept. 4, military officials said Israeli forces controlled roughly two-fifths of the city, which had been home to about 1 million people before the fighting began.
Criticism of Israeli leaders
Gilboa-Dalal also criticized Israeli leaders, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, for not prioritizing the wellbeing of hostages and Israeli soldiers. Throughout the conflict, Netanyahu has said the war will not end until Hamas is fully dismantled and all hostages are returned.
Defense Minister Israel Katz shared a video on X Friday showing an Israeli missile strike leveling a building. The Mushtaha Tower was reportedly used by Hamas for military and surveillance operations.
Earlier, Katz wrote on social media that Israeli military operations will intensify unless Hamas meets the conditions set to end the war. “The bolt is now being removed from the gates of Hell in Gaza,” he posted on X.
Hamas indicated it would consider a plan presented in July to release some hostages in return for a temporary halt to fighting.
Humanitarian crisis deepens
The military operations in Gaza City have sparked protests from families of hostages, world leaders and the broader community. Many point to the number of Palestinians already killed since the war began, with the Gaza Health Ministry reporting Thursday there have been more than 64,000 deaths. A study released on July 30 by an Israeli think tank claims those figures have been manipulated for political purposes.
In a statement to The Jerusalem Post, the Hostages’ Families Headquarters warned that the ongoing Gaza operation could put hostages in grave danger. “This action poses an immediate and direct danger to our loved ones who have been languishing in Hamas’s tunnels for 700 days. Sadly, we have not heard of any way to protect them,” the statement reads in part.
Beyond the rising death toll, observers highlight the severe famine gripping Gaza. The World Health Organization said a report in August that over half a million residents are facing extreme food shortages, widespread starvation and preventable deaths.
Palestinian detentions in Israel
By the close of December 2024, nearly 10,000 Palestinians were in Israeli custody for what the Israel Prison Service said were security reasons. More than 2,200 come from the Gaza Strip, according to the Israeli Information Center for Human Rights. Authorities were also holding roughly 1,700 Palestinians for being in Israel without authorization, including three from Gaza.
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Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
