The situation in the Middle East has grown even more complex as Israel continues its invasion of the Gaza Strip to eradicate Hamas. However, Hamas is not the only terrorist group that has been involved in the fighting despite being the entity that launched the October attack that started the current war.
Islamic Jihad, another Palestinian terrorist group in Gaza, has released a video featuring two Israel hostages, an elderly woman and a 13-year-old boy. These were among the 240 Israelis who were seized during the October 7 attack.
The Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror group has posted propaganda videos showing two Israeli hostages held in the Gaza Strip.
One clip shows an elderly woman, and the second clip shows a young boy. Media outlets name them as Hannah Katzir, 77, and Yagil Yaakov, 13, both kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7.
The pair speak in Hebrew, accusing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of causing the ongoing situation.
In one part of the video, the young boy tells Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that “these explosions are just madness” and that he is “killing children and even affluent people.” In all likelihood, the boy was being ordered to send this message under duress.
#BREAKING NOW: Young #Israeli Hostage Calls #Gaza Bombing “Madness” On Video Released By His Islamic Jihad Captors. RAW CLIP#israel #hamas #IsraelGazaWar #idf #IsraelPalestineWar #Iran #IsraelAtWar #trending #Palestine #breakingnews #GazaCeasefire pic.twitter.com/zJIhHe7lwT
— BREAKING NEWS BITES (@NewsMelt) November 9, 2023
In another video, the terrorist group indicated it would be willing to release the hostages in exchange for humanitarian aid to the region. “We announce that we are ready to release the woman Hanna Katzir for humanitarian and health issues,” the terrorist on the video said, also indicating the group is “ready to release the teen Yagil Yaakov” because “of his young age.” The individual on the camera indicated that the release “will be in effect once appropriate measures are met, security-wise and on the field, which provides protection for the Palestinian people.”
Islamic Jihad’s statement comes shortly after Hamas made a similar plea last week in which it offered to release all civilian hostages it took during the October 7 attack in exchange for a pause in hostilities. But, as RedState’s Bonchie pointed out:
A five-day pause would give Hamas the cover to exit those tunnels and retrench in the South, where most of the civilians are now located. In other words, it would simply play into the hands of terrorists who use women and children as human shields, causing even more death and suffering in the long run.
This story further underscores the precarious balance Israel faces in ensuring the safety of its citizens who are held hostage while trying to avoid inadvertently providing aid to their adversaries. The negotiations, combined with military operations in the Gaza Strip, paint a complex picture of the situation on the ground as Israel seeks to wipe out Hamas once and for all.
