Hamas releases video of three female hostages held in Gaza: Israel PM Netanyahu blasts terror group’s ‘cruel psychological propaganda’ and says to the women ‘our heart is with you’
Hamas today released a video showing three female hostages kidnapped by the terrorists and taken to Gaza during the October 7 attacks.
Sitting on plastic chairs against a white tile wall, one of the women shouted as she criticized Israel’s response to the hostage crisis and its failure to “protect” them from the terrorists.
The woman urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to agree to a prisoner exchange for the release of all prisoners in her brief statement, which was likely made under duress.
While speaking Hebrew, she becomes very excited and starts shouting, almost shouting towards the end, while the other two on either side of her remain silent.
In response, Netanyahu condemned the video as “cruel psychological propaganda” and told the female hostages “our hearts are with you.”
The Israeli prime minister named the three female hostages as Yelena Trupanob, Daniel Aloni and Rimon Kirsht, and promised to “bring home all kidnapped and missing people.”
Hamas today released a video showing three female hostages kidnapped by the terrorists and taken to Gaza during the October 7 attacks.
In response, Netanyahu condemned the video as “cruel psychological propaganda” and told the female hostages “our hearts are with you.”
The Israeli army confirmed yesterday that 239 hostages – aged between a few months and 80 years – were taken during the attack on southern Israel on October 7.
Israel has since launched an intense bombardment of Gaza, raising fears for the safety of the hostages, many of whom are believed to be held in Hamas’ tunnel network.
Relatives concerned about Israel’s escalating attacks in Gaza demanded to know the government’s plans for the rescue of their loved ones in a tense meeting. Netanyahu yesterday.
Meirav Leshem Gonen, the mother of Romi Gonen, 23, who was kidnapped from the dance music festival Supernova, said: ‘We spoke bluntly and made it clear to the Prime Minister… ‘everyone’ principle is a deal that the families would consider and which the support has of all Israel.”
She said families went to the meeting with “an unequivocal demand” that Israeli plans for military action should outweigh the “well-being of our loved ones.”
Noam Alon, whose girlfriend Inbat Heiman was also taken from the festival, said freeing the hostages “should be the government’s priority.”
He told the BBC: ‘Israel must pay the ultimate price to bring them back. Israel abandoned them on October 7 and cannot do so again.”
Igal Sarusi, father of Almog Sarusi, said: “An everyone-for-all deal is acceptable and we hope it becomes a reality soon.”
The hostages were seized as hundreds of Hamas gunmen crossed the border into southern Israel and attacked kibbutz communities, towns and military bases.
Authorities believe they are being held in a massive network of underground tunnels built by Hamas in the besieged area.
The terrorists said they will release them in exchange for thousands of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, but Netanyahu has rejected the offer.
In response to the October 7 massacre that left 1,400 people dead, Israel launched a devastating aerial bombardment of Gaza.
The Health Ministry in Hamas-run Gaza says more than 8,300 people, mostly civilians – and more than half women and children – have been killed in Israeli air and ground strikes.
Facing mounting domestic pressure on the prisoners, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Sunday accused the terrorists of playing “psychological games” with the fate of the hostages.
It comes as it emerged that Hamas terrorists beheaded Shani Louk after the gunmen kidnapped the German tattoo artist from the Nova Electronic Festival and paraded her on the back of a truck.
Shani Louk, 22, was abducted from Israel to Gaza by Hamas terrorists on October 7 from the Nova music festival near Kibbutz Reim. Hamas gunmen took at least 200 hostages and killed about 1,400 people in the morning attack
Ms Louk’s motionless body was paraded by Hamas gunmen in Israel after the festival attack. It was unclear from the video whether she was still alive, although her mother later stated that she was alive and being held in a hospital in Gaza
Ms Louk, 22, was abducted from Israel to Gaza by Hamas terrorists on October 7 from the festival near Kibbutz Reim. Hamas gunmen took at least 239 hostages and killed about 1,400 people during the morning attack.
For more than three weeks, Ms. Louk’s family prayed that the German-Israelis could be saved from the terrorists.
But Israeli President Yitzchak Herzog announced today that the young festival goer was murdered and beheaded by the ‘sadistic animals’.
The harrowing details of how Ms Louk was murdered by the barbaric terrorists come just hours after it emerged that Israeli officials had found the base of her skull.
“I am truly sorry to report that we have now received the news that Shani Nicole Louk’s death has been confirmed. Her skull has been found,” Herzog told the German newspaper Image.
“This means that these barbaric, sadistic animals simply cut off her head while attacking, torturing and killing Israelis. It is a great tragedy and I send my deepest condolences to her family.”
Ms Louk’s family had waited helplessly for news that their beloved daughter had survived the Hamas attack and could be released by the terrorists.
But earlier today, her heartbroken mother and sister announced the news they had been dreading.
“Unfortunately, we received the news yesterday that my daughter is no longer alive,” mother Ricarda told German broadcaster RTL. Shani’s sister Adi wrote on Instagram that she “announced the death of my sister with great sadness.”
In response to the October 7 attack, Israel has launched the first stages of its expected ground attack and has continued to destroy entire neighborhoods in Gaza with relentless aerial bombardment.
Today, Israeli ground forces fought deadly battles with Hamas terrorists in Gaza on Monday and sent tanks to the outskirts of the largest city.
Dozens of Israeli tanks are massed in southern Israel as Israel says it will expand its military operations in Gaza on Monday
A photo taken Monday from the Israeli side of the Gaza Strip border shows an Israeli military vehicle driving in the northern Gaza Strip amid ongoing fighting with Hamas.
A photo taken Monday from the Israeli side of the Gaza Strip border shows an Israeli military vehicle driving in the northern Gaza Strip
Smoke rises into the air on Monday during the Israeli bombardment in the northern Gaza Strip
The intensification of the military campaign since the October 7 Hamas attacks has sharply heightened fears for the 2.4 million civilians trapped in Gaza, where more than 8,300 have been killed, according to the Hamas-controlled Health Ministry.
Concerns have grown over the spreading humanitarian crisis and the fate of hospitals in the war zone where, the World Health Organization warns, many patients cannot be safely moved despite Israel’s evacuation order.
Netanyahu has vowed to wipe out Hamas after his gunmen killed 1,400 people and took more than 230 hostages in the worst attack in the country’s history.
The attack marked the start of the bloodiest Gaza war ever, marked by weeks of devastating aerial bombardment and three straight nights of ground operations in northern Gaza, which Israel has ordered civilians to evacuate.
In heavy fighting, the Israeli army said it had killed dozens of militants hiding “in buildings and tunnels,” and that a fighter jet hit a building “with more than 20 Hamas terrorists inside.”
Columns of Israeli tanks and armored bulldozers were seen barreling through the sand, and Israeli snipers took up positions in vacant residential buildings, footage released by the military showed.
Dozens of Israeli tanks advanced toward the southern edge of Gaza City for more than an hour, blocking the main north-south highway, “shooting at any vehicle that tried to drive past,” an eyewitness told AFP by phone.
Airstrikes also left craters on the road and brought down buildings, residents said, before the tanks withdrew from the area.