Families of Israeli Female Hostages Release Abduction Video to Seek Government Action

The families of seven female Israeli soldiers who were captured by Hamas during the October 7 attacks have shared a video showing their abduction. They are urging the government of Benjamin Netanyahu to work towards securing their release.

In the video, the women, who are all members of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), can be seen lined up against a wall with their hands and feet tied. Some of the women have visible bruises and blood on their faces.

Hamas had released the footage, as confirmed by the Hostages Families Forum. The IDF had edited out the most disturbing scenes before providing it to the campaigning group.

In a press release on Wednesday, the Hostage Families Forum stated, “Every new testimony about what happened to the hostages echoes the same tragic truth – we must bring them all back home, now.”

The women were kidnapped by Hamas during a raid on Israel's Nahal Oz military base, near the northern Gaza Strip. This was part of the militant group's attacks on Israel, resulting in approximately 1,200 casualties and over 250 people being captured and taken hostage in the enclave.

In response to the attack, Israel initiated a war in Gaza that has led to the deaths of more than 35,000 Palestinians in the past seven months, as reported by the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza.

The kidnapped women were serving as IDF observers, responsible for monitoring Israel's border security.

Pressure is increasing on Netanyahu to bring back the Israelis still in captivity by Hamas. His government has been focusing on this as a main objective of the Gaza offensive. However, various efforts to negotiate a hostage-for-ceasefire agreement with Hamas have not been successful in recent months. This has angered many in Israel who are advocating for the release of the hostages.

The Hostages Families Forum shared a video on Wednesday, expressing that the State of Israel cannot tolerate a situation where its citizens live in fear and anxiety, constantly feeling threatened.

The forum emphasized the urgency of bringing back the hostages - those who are alive for rehabilitation and those who have been killed for proper burial. They called on the Israeli government to return to the negotiating table without delay to resolve the situation.

Ori Megidish, one of the women featured in the video, was rescued by the IDF in a special operation 23 days after being taken.

Another woman, Noa Marciano, an IDF Corporal, tragically lost her life while in Gaza and her body was brought back to Israel in November.

Five out of the seven individuals who were taken across the border — Liri Albag, Karina Ariev, Agam Berger, Daniela Gilboa, and Naama Levy — are still in captivity, even after more than seven months.

Although over 100 hostages were released in a deal last November, the IDF estimates that there are still approximately 130 individuals being held in Gaza.

Efforts to reach a deal to stop the war in Gaza and free hostages have faced setbacks. Hamas recently stated that Israel's refusal of a ceasefire proposal in Cairo reset talks on releasing hostages.

This announcement followed the conclusion of talks in Cairo for a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release, which did not result in an agreement.

Editor's P/S:

The video shared by the families of the captured Israeli soldiers is a heart-wrenching reminder of the ongoing conflict in Gaza and the human toll it takes. The