Gaza City, Gaza Strip – Israel has accused Hamas of subjecting three hostages to “psychological torment” after the militant group released a third video within 24 hours. The latest video suggests that two of the hostages are dead. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant condemned Hamas for causing anguish to the hostages’ families, noting that the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) are working to bring clarity.
The first video, released on Sunday, showed the three hostages – Noa Argamani, Itai Svirsky, and Yossi Sharabi – speaking to a camera. It ended with a message indicating that their fate would be revealed the next day. A second video was released on Monday, reinforcing the impending revelation of the hostages’ fate. The third video, released later in the day, seemed to show the lifeless bodies of Svirsky and Sharabi, with Argamani claiming they were victims of Israeli bombings.
However, the IDF Chief Spokesperson, Daniel Hagari, stated in a briefing that Svirsky was not hit by Israeli forces, as alleged in the video. Hagari also clarified that the IDF did not target the building where the hostages were held, but nearby areas. He emphasized that the IDF does not strike locations with potential hostages.
Hamas and other groups abducted approximately 240 hostages in Gaza on October 7. A week-long truce in late November resulted in the release of over 100 Israeli and foreign hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. Israel estimates that 132 hostages are still in Gaza, with around 107 assumed to be alive.
Noa Argamani, 26, who appeared in two of the videos, was abducted from the Nova festival alongside her boyfriend Avinatan Or. Her mother, Leora, suffering from stage four brain cancer, recorded a video last year pleading for her safe return. It is unclear when and where the videos were filmed.
Itai Svirsky, a dual Israeli-German citizen, was taken while visiting his family in Kibbutz Be’eri from his home in Tel Aviv. His mother, Orit Svirsky, a peace activist, was killed in front of him, along with his father and their three dogs. Svirsky had recently started working as a life coach, and his family received confirmation that he was alive from a released hostage in November.
The IDF has expressed serious concern for the fate of the two captives whose deaths have been claimed in the videos. The investigation into the events and their circumstances is ongoing, with the IDF examining the distributed footage alongside additional information at their disposal.