On Wednesday, Israeli television aired previously withheld footage showing the abduction of five female army conscripts by Hamas gunmen during the October 7 raid that ignited the ongoing Gaza war.
The footage, which depicts the young women in pyjamas being seized, was released in a bid to increase pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to negotiate a truce and secure the hostages’ release.
“Here, these are the girls who can get pregnant.”
This is video footage depicting the horrific kidnapping of 5 female Israeli hostages: Liri Albag, Karina Ariev, Agam Berger, Daniela Gilboa and Naama Levy.
They have been held hostage by Hamas terrorists for more than 230 days… pic.twitter.com/zFo9eB77uC
— Israel ישראל (@Israel) May 22, 2024
The three-minute subtitled clip was shared with both national and international media, with the government viewing it as a means to bolster support. “These girls are still in the captivity of Hamas. Please don’t look away,” government spokesperson David Mencer urged reporters. “Watch the film. Support Israel in bringing our people home.”
The video shows the women, visibly stunned and some injured, being bound and forced into a jeep. One of the conscripts, 19-year-old Naama Levy, can be heard pleading in English, “I have friends in Palestine.” A gunman responds in Arabic, “You are dogs! We will step on you, dogs!”
The Hostages Families Forum, which represents the relatives of the 124 people—mostly civilians—still held by Hamas, stated that the footage was obtained from bodycams worn by the attackers at the Nahal Oz base in southern Israel, where the women served as surveillance spotters. The Forum noted that images of killed Israeli soldiers were excluded and the release was approved by the families of the five captives.
“The Israeli government must not waste another moment; it must return to the negotiating table today!” the Forum urged.
The Oct. 7 attack, led by Hamas, resulted in the deaths of 1,200 people and the abduction of more than 250 individuals, according to Israeli sources. In response, Israel launched an offensive against the Islamist group, which Gaza health authorities claim has resulted in over 35,000 Palestinian deaths. The Israeli military reports that 286 of its soldiers have also been killed.
Netanyahu’s government maintains that continued military pressure will compel Hamas to yield, but hostage families fear for their loved ones’ lives and the potential for sexual violence against the female captives, which Hamas has denied.
“So please, please do whatever you can to, to bring them home,” implored Orly Gilboa, whose daughter Daniela is among the hostages, in a statement to Reuters. “They suffer there every minute, every second. And every minute is important.”
In a related move, Israel’s Foreign Ministry announced that the ambassadors of Ireland, Norway, and Spain, summoned to protest their governments’ preparations to recognize a Palestinian state, will be shown the video in a special screening on Thursday.
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