DayofPal– Hamas’ military wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, released a new video on Saturday titled “Time is Running Out,” featuring two Israeli captives held in Gaza since the start of the war.
The footage offers a rare glimpse into their lives in captivity and a plea for survival.
The video shows the two men, visibly injured and worn down, recounting what they call a near-death experience caused by an Israeli airstrike.
According to the captives, they had briefly been allowed out of the underground tunnels for fresh air when an Israeli bombardment hit the area. “We were almost killed by our own army,” one of the captives says. “Hamas fighters risked their lives to drag us back into safety.”
The conditions they describe are bleak. Like Gazans, “There is no food, no water, no blankets,” says one captive. “We are dying here.” The men speak directly to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, begging him to negotiate their release.
“Bring us home alive. We are already dead here,” they say.
They also caution the Israeli public not to trust official government statements saying that military pressure on Hamas won’t lead to the captives’’ freedom. “That pressure is what got us injured,” one of the men says, revealing wounds sustained during what he says was an Israeli airstrike.
As the video spread across Israeli media, families of captives staged a powerful protest outside the Israeli military headquarters in Tel Aviv. The protest was fueled by growing fear and frustration, especially after the Israeli military resumed its offensive in Gaza last month.
“We feel abandoned,” said one family member. “This government is playing politics while our children are dying in tunnels.” Some protesters called on former U.S. President Donald Trump to intervene and pressure Netanyahu to shift tactics, while others blamed the Israeli leader directly for putting the captives’ lives at risk.
Abu Ubaida, spokesperson for the Al-Qassam Brigades, issued a chilling statement: approximately half of the remaining Israeli captives are located in areas now under active Israeli military evacuation orders.
He warned that Hamas will not relocate the captives, citing security risks, and that they will remain in what he called “highly dangerous conditions.”
The captives crisis has emerged as a flashpoint in the ongoing war, deepening the divide within Israeli society and raising serious questions about the government’s strategy. As time ticks away, the voices from the tunnels grow louder and more desperate, while Netanyahu give a deaf ear.
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