Hamas releases new ‘proof of life’ video featuring Israeli hostages

2 weeks ago 5

By Samy Magdy and David Rising

April 28, 2024 — 2.27pm

Cairo: Hamas has released a caller video that appeared to amusement 2 Israeli hostages who person been held successful the Gaza Strip since the October 7 battle connected confederate Israel.

The video is likewise filmed to erstwhile hostage videos made nationalist by the Islamist violent group, and Israel has condemned the video arsenic intelligence terrorism.

Omri Miran (left) and Keith Siegel appeared successful a Hamas “proof of life” video this weekend.

The 2 men, identified arsenic Keith Siegel, 64, and Omri Miran, 47, talk individually successful beforehand of an bare background. They nonstop their emotion to their families and inquire to beryllium released.

Miran was taken hostage from his location successful the assemblage of Nahal Oz successful beforehand of his woman and 2 young daughters during the Hamas sidesplitting spree that sparked the warfare successful Gaza.

Siegel, who is simply a dual American-Israeli citizen, was taken captive with his woman from different borderline town. She was aboriginal released during a little November truce.

The video was published during the Passover holiday, erstwhile Jews traditionally observe the biblical communicative of gaining state from slavery successful Egypt.

Palestinians connected a roadworthy lined with destroyed buildings successful Khan Younis, confederate Gaza, connected Friday.

At 1 constituent Siegel breaks down crying arsenic helium recounts celebrating the vacation with his household past twelvemonth and expressing his anticipation they volition beryllium reunited.

About 250 radical were taken hostage and 1200 killed during the Hamas assault, according to Israeli tallies. In response, Israel launched an battle connected Gaza that has truthful acold killed much than 34,000 Palestinians, according to Gazan wellness authorities.

Ceasefire connection nether review

Hamas said connected Sunday (AEST) it was reviewing a caller Israeli connection for a ceasefire successful Gaza, arsenic Egypt intensified efforts to broker a woody to extremity the months-long warfare and stave disconnected a planned Israeli crushed violative into the confederate metropolis of Rafah.

Senior Hamas authoritative Khalil al-Hayya did not supply immoderate details of Israel’s offer, but said it was successful effect to a Hamas connection 2 weeks ago. Negotiations earlier this period centred connected a six-week ceasefire connection and the merchandise of 40 civilian and sick hostages successful speech for freeing hundreds of Palestinian prisoners successful Israeli jails.

A abstracted Hamas connection said leaders from the 3 main militant groups progressive successful Gaza discussed attempts to extremity the war. It didn’t notation the Israeli proposal.

The statements came hours aft an Egyptian delegation ended a sojourn to Israel, wherever it discussed a “new vision” for a prolonged ceasefire successful Gaza, according to an Egyptian official, who spoke connected information of anonymity to freely sermon the developments.

It wasn’t instantly wide whether Israel’s connection was straight related to the visit.

The discussions betwixt Egyptian and Israeli officials focused connected the archetypal signifier of a program that would see a constricted speech of hostages held by Hamas for Palestinian prisoners, and the instrumentality of a important fig of displaced Palestinians to their homes successful bluish Gaza “with minimum restrictions”, the Egyptian authoritative said.

Mediators were moving connected a compromise that would reply astir of some parties’ main demands, the authoritative said, and it could pave the mode to continued negotiations with the extremity of a woody to extremity the war.

Hamas has said it won’t backmost down from demands for a imperishable ceasefire and afloat withdrawal of Israeli troops. Israel has rejected some demands and said it would proceed subject operations until Hamas was defeated, and that it would clasp a information beingness successful Gaza.

Rafah battle looms

There is increasing planetary unit for Hamas and Israel to scope a ceasefire woody and avert an Israeli onslaught connected Rafah, wherever much than fractional of Gaza’s 2.3 cardinal radical person sought refuge.

Israel has insisted for months it plans a crushed violative into Rafah, which is connected the borderline with Egypt. Israel says galore remaining Hamas militants stay successful the city, and its plans to participate Rafah are successful contempt of calls for restraint, including from Israel’s staunchest ally, the United States.

Egypt has cautioned that an violative into Rafah could person “catastrophic consequences” connected the humanitarian concern successful Gaza, wherever famine is feared, and connected determination bid and security.

The Israeli subject has massed dozens of tanks and armoured vehicles successful confederate Israel adjacent to Rafah and deed locations successful the metropolis successful near-daily airstrikes.

Early connected Saturday, an airstrike deed a location successful Rafah’s Tel Sultan neighbourhood, sidesplitting a man, his woman and their sons, aged 12, 10 and 8, according to records of the Abu Yousef al-Najjar hospital’s morgue. A neighbour’s four-month-old miss was besides killed.

Ahmed Omar rushed with different neighbours aft the airstrike to look for survivors, but said they lone recovered bodies and assemblage parts. “It’s a tragedy,” helium said.

An Israeli airstrike aboriginal connected Saturday connected a gathering successful Rafah killed 7 people, including six members of the Ashour family, according to the morgue.

Five radical were killed successful the Nuseirat exile campy successful cardinal Gaza overnight erstwhile an Israeli onslaught deed a house, according to officials astatine the al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital.

Elsewhere, Israeli forces changeable and killed 2 Palestinian men astatine a checkpoint successful the Israeli-occupied West Bank, the subject said. It said the men had opened occurrence astatine troops stationed astatine Salem checkpoint adjacent the metropolis of Jenin.

Reuters, AP

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