Israel’s attack on Rafah is imminent… Hamas releases video of hostage with severed left hand

The Palestinian militant group Hamas released a video of an American-Israeli hostage with his left hand amputated. This video was released as Israel’s operation to enter Rafah, the southernmost city in the Gaza Strip, the last bastion of Hamas, was imminent, leading to analysis that Hamas may be trying to create public opinion in support of negotiations both inside and outside Israel.

On the 24th (local time), Hamas posted a three-minute video featuring American-Israeli Hershey Goldberg-Paulin on its Telegram channel. Goldberg-Paulin was kidnapped by Hamas militants near a kibbutz (collective farm) in Laim, southern Israel, where the Supernova music festival was held in the early morning of October 7 last year and taken to the Gaza Strip.

Goldberg-Paulin appeared in the video with the upper left wrist amputated. After revealing his identity, date of birth, and the names of his parents, he asked the Israeli government to “allow the hostages to return home.”

He then criticized Israel for rejecting the ceasefire proposal, saying, “70 hostages lost their lives in the Israeli airstrike.” He pointed out, “No one helped them when they were kidnapped,” and “Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government should be ashamed of neglecting Hamas’ hostage-taking and failing to rescue them for 200 days.”

Although the date of filming is not specified in the video, it appears to have been filmed relatively recently, considering that he mentioned “living in hell for about 200 days.” Today is the 201st day since the war in Gaza broke out.

Goldberg-Paulin’s left hand is believed to have been amputated during the kidnapping. At the time, Hamas members reportedly threw a grenade at the building where Goldberg-Paulin and others were hiding.

Hamas has released videos containing hostages several times in the past. Israeli authorities criticized this as a sophisticated psychological warfare. In particular, it is analyzed that Hamas released this video as the Rafah attack was approaching, aiming to create public opinion inside and outside Israel that the hostages should be rescued first through negotiations rather than military operations.

After the video was released, Goldberg-Pauline’s family said: “We cannot waste any more time. “The release of hostages must be the top priority,” he said, urging the leaders involved in the ceasefire negotiations to reach an agreement.

Hamas infiltrated southern Israel on October 7 last year and took about 250 people hostage. About 100 of the hostages were released during the temporary ceasefire in November of the same year, but the rest have not yet returned.

Hyewon Lee, Donga.com Reporter [email protected]