Hamas released a video of an Israeli held captive in Gaza

GAZA (QJ) – The Palestinian group Hamas released a video on Saturday showing an Israeli man who has been held captive in Gaza since October 2023.

The three-and-a-half-minute footage featured a 19-year-old soldier named Liri Albag, who spoke in Hebrew, calling on the Israeli government to secure his release.

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, a group advocating for the relatives of abductees, stated that Albag’s family did not consent to the publication of the video.

The conscripted soldier was 18 years old when Palestinian fighters captured him at the Nahal Oz military base near the Gaza border.

Hamas and its ally, Islamic Jihad, have released multiple videos over the past 15 months showing Israeli hostages held in Gaza.

The militant groups seized 251 hostages during the October 2023 attack, with 96 still believed to be in Gaza. The Israeli military has confirmed that 34 of them have died.

Hamas announced late on Friday that indirect negotiations with Israel over a ceasefire and the release of hostages had resumed in Qatar that same night. However, there have been no further updates since then.