Hamas on Wednesday released a video of Israeli-American hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin, the first evidence that he survived serious injuries during his capture on October 1. 7.
Goldberg-Polin, then 23, was kidnapped at the Nova music festival during Hamas attacks on Israel, when more than 1,200 people were killed and more than 200 were taken hostage.
In the undated video he is shown with part of his left arm missing several centimeters above the hand.
Video filmed in October. 7 showed Goldberg-Polin with his arm seriously injured. A first-hand account from a young woman, who was with him in a bunker when Hamas attacked, said he helped throw grenades, before her arm was blown off from the elbow down.
The last video shows Goldberg-Polin sitting in a chair, addressing the camera. Gesturing from time to time with his wounded arm, he identifies himself and gives his date of birth and the name of his parents.
It says it has been “here for almost 200 days,” suggesting the video was filmed shortly before Tuesday, the 200th day of the war.
Goldberg-Polin’s hair is short in the video, which is edited with a series of cuts from a wide shot to a close-up.
He criticizes the Israeli government of Benjamin Netanyahu, as other Israeli hostages have done in Hamas propaganda videos. Held captive in Gaza for six months, he is almost certainly speaking under duress.
It mentions Israeli government ministers sitting at Christmas dinners with their families, an apparent reference to the Jewish holiday of Passover, which began on Monday night and is traditionally celebrated with a family dinner.
He urges his own family to stay strong for him and ends by saying that he hopes he can bring them some comfort during the holidays.
Goldberg-Polin is among the most recognizable of the 129 hostages remaining in Gaza. Banners and murals reading, “Bring Hersh Home,” are displayed in Jerusalem, and her parents, Rachel and Jonathan, meet regularly with senior U.S. officials in Washington to press the hostage case.
From October 129. Seven hostages still held in Gaza; The Israeli government believes 33 are dead.
Rachel Goldberg-Polin, Hersh’s mother, has campaigned for her son’s release for the past six months. She told CNN in January that she uses a piece of tape that marks each day that has passed since Hamas fighters kidnapped Hersh.
Hersh, 23, was going on the round-the-world trip he had planned. The Dec. On the 27th, when he was scheduled to leave, his mother went to the airport with friends and handed out Hersh stickers to the passengers on their flight, asking them to send her photos of the places they were visiting.