Hamas releases video of hostage allegedly injured in Israeli attack on Gaza

Gaza: The Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, have released a new video showing a hostage, who appeared to have been injured in an alleged Israeli airstrike in the Gaza Strip.

The footage released on Saturday showed masked militants inside an underground tunnel, shouting at the distressed-looking hostage.

“I am hostage number 24. We were bombed after the ceasefire ended, and we escaped death. That’s why we went down into the tunnels. We were bombed again while underground,” the captive said in the video.

The hostage criticised the strategy of the Israeli government, which he blamed for his current ordeal, Xinhua news agency reported.

“My health is critical. There’s no access to medication, and seeking medical help is impossible. I don’t know what happened to my colleague,” he added.

The individual urged Israelis to protest and pressure Netanyahu’s administration to agree to a prisoner swap for his release and the other Israeli captives.

Israeli public broadcaster Kan identified the hostage as Maxim Herkin, who has been held in Gaza. This is the second video of Herkin released by Hamas.

Herkin also appeared in a previous video released by Hamas in early April, wearing a small bandage on his right wrist and a bandage on his cheek and ear. In that video, he appeared alongside a second hostage Israeli media identified as soldier Bar Kuperstein.

A truce in Gaza between Israel and Hamas came into force on January 19, largely halting more than 15 months of fighting. During the six-week ceasefire militants handed over 33 hostages, eight of them dead.

Israel resumed major operations across Gaza on March 18 amid deadlock over next steps in the ceasefire.

The Health Ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said on Saturday that at least 2,396 people have been killed since Israel resumed its campaign in Gaza, bringing the overall death toll since the war broke out to 52,495.

The Israeli government has said its renewed offensive aims to force Hamas to free the remaining captives, although critics charge that it puts them in mortal danger.

Since the end of the truce, Hamas has released several videos of hostages. The latest images come as efforts by mediators to broker a new truce have stalled.

Herkin, had emigrated to Israel from Ukraine with his mother.

IANS