Israel releases video of Hamas hostage imminent attack on Rafah

While the Israeli military is said to have completed preparations for an attack on Rafah, the southernmost part of the Gaza Strip, Hamas released additional video showing hostages.

About 130 of the hostages taken by Hamas in October last year have not yet returned.

This is reporter Uhm Ji-in.

◀ Report ▶

The hostage released by Hamas is an Israeli-American, Hershey Goldberg-Paulin.

He appeared with part of his left hand amputated and appealed to “allow the hostages to return home.”

This is not the first time Hamas has released a video of a hostage, but this time the hostage’s family directly allowed the release.

The families said “we cannot waste any more time” and demanded that “release of the hostages must be a top priority.”

On October 7 last year, Hamas infiltrated its armed members into southern Israel, massacred over 1,200 people and took over 250 hostage.

About 130 people have not yet returned, and Israel believes that the remaining hostages along with Hamas leaders are in Rafah, the southernmost city in the Gaza Strip.

The Israeli army is said to be preparing to deploy two brigades of troops from its northern border into the Gaza Strip.

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu previously announced on the 21st that “we will increase the level of military pressure on Hamas in the coming days,” and Reuters, citing a senior Israeli defense official, reported that “Israeli forces have completed all preparations to occupy Rafah.” I did.

More than 1.4 million refugees out of the 2.3 million residents of the Gaza Strip are concentrated in Rafah, and the international community, including the United States, is concerned about civilian casualties due to urban fighting.

There is analysis that Hamas’s release of the video was also aimed at increasing public opinion inside and outside Israel of the military operation.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said, “Of the 34,000 Palestinians killed in the Gaza Strip, about 14,600 were children,” and called for an immediate ceasefire, saying, “A child in the Gaza Strip is killed or injured every 10 minutes.” I urged you again and again.

This is Uhm Ji-in from MBC News.