On Monday, Hamas’ armed wing released a video showing an Israeli-German hostage, Alon Ohel, alive — the second such video this month.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, along with Ohel’s family, confirmed his identity. He was kidnapped during the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel by Palestinian militants.
His family requested that the media refrain from using his photo or video excerpts.
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In the video, 24-year-old Ohel, wearing a black t-shirt, appeals to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the release of all captives in Gaza.
He also urges his family to keep protesting against Netanyahu’s government to secure their release.
A militant in black, armed and tapping Ohel’s shoulder, is also visible in the clip.
The Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades released the footage, showing Ohel speaking while watching a screen with Netanyahu.
AFP could not immediately verify the video’s authenticity or filming date.
Ohel’s parents, Idit and Kobi, expressed their anguish in a statement via the forum, noting his deteriorating condition.
“Alon is losing sight in his right eye and looks thin and distressed,” they said, urging immediate medical attention.
They emphasized that their son’s fate and that of other captives lie with Netanyahu.
“On Rosh Hashanah’s eve, during these penitent days, young Jewish lives now depend on the prime minister and cabinet,” their statement read.
“Do not break Israel’s heart. Bringing Alon and the hostages home is the crucial national message.”
Ohel was preparing to start music studies after returning from Asia, before being abducted at the Supernova festival during the Hamas attack.
He was captured on Route 232, the festival’s only exit, with three others.
Hamas previously released a video of Ohel on September 5, showing him with another hostage, Guy Gilboa-Dalal.
Of the 251 hostages taken during the October 2023 Hamas attack, 47 remain in Gaza, with 25 confirmed dead by the Israeli military.
The attack resulted in 1,219 deaths, mostly civilians, per AFP’s tally using Israeli data.
Israel’s counterattack has claimed at least 65,344 Palestinian lives in Gaza, mostly civilians, according to Hamas-run health ministry figures deemed reliable by the UN.
