Hamas on Monday released a propaganda video showing hostage Alon Ohel, who has been held in captivity in Gaza for 717 days.
The release of the footage came after the terror group had earlier circulated a photo of another hostage whose identity was not disclosed.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum stressed that no material put out by Hamas or Islamic Jihad should be published without the explicit approval of the hostage’s family. Ohel’s parents echoed this appeal, stating that the “video content constitutes psychological terror, and we ask that it not be shared.”
On Monday evening, his parents, Idit and Kobi, said they were “shaking and in pain” after watching the new recording. They described their son as “thin, distressed, and losing his vision,” and demanded that medical specialists be allowed to examine and treat him as part of any negotiations or humanitarian assistance, citing prior reports that Alon had lost sight in one eye.
“The most important national message right now is bringing Alon and all the hostages home to their families,” they emphasized.
Just over two weeks earlier, Hamas had distributed another video featuring Ohel alongside fellow hostage Guy Gilboa-Dalal, warning that “Time is running out.” At that time, Ohel’s family permitted the release of a single photo but urged the public “not to participate in Hamas’s psychological terrorism, which primarily harms the family and friends, by refraining from broadcasting or sharing the full video.”
In an interview with Walla, Serbia’s ambassador to the United States, Dragan Šutanovac, pledged that his country is making every effort to secure Ohel’s release, noting that he also holds Serbian citizenship.
{Matzav.com}
