In a chilling development, Hamas has unveiled a distressing hostage video featuring the youngest female Israeli captive in Gaza, Liri Albag.
The 19-year-old has been held captive for over 450 days since her brutal abduction. The video, lasting three and a half minutes, shows a visibly shaken Albag pleading with her government for rescue.
According to the Daily Mail, Albag is seen breaking down as she recounts the horrific conditions of her captivity, revealing that some of her fellow captives have been "badly wounded." She shares her harrowing experience of having "looked death in the eye."
In a direct appeal to Defence Secretary Israel Katz, Albag implores, "You know my father. Look him in the eye and tell him that he and my mother don't deserve to hug their daughter. Look at them and tell them if you have the courage." She also sends a heartfelt message to her parents, Shira and Eli, and her siblings, expressing her deep love and longing for them.
In response to the video, Albag's family has released two still images from the footage, hoping to increase pressure on the authorities to negotiate her release. They issued a statement saying, "Today's video has torn our hearts to pieces. This is not the daughter and sister we know. She is not well - her severe psychological distress is evident."
The family's statement further reveals their anguish over their inability to bring Albag home despite her being just dozens of kilometers away. They call on the Prime Minister and world leaders to act as if their own children were in Albag's place, emphasizing that her safe return depends solely on their actions.
In a separate video appeal, Albag's parents directly addressed their daughter. Her mother, Shira, reassured her, "Liri, we are fighting for you, we aren't giving up on you, and you're coming home alive." Her father, Eli, echoed this sentiment, promising that they would "fight until all hostages are returned."
Albag was serving her compulsory national service as an unarmed border observer when she was kidnapped from the Nahal Oz base on October 7. She was taken alongside fellow teenage border guards Naama Levy, Daniela Gilboa, Agam Berger, and Karina Ariev. The Daily Mail has been instrumental in highlighting the plight of these young female captives in Gaza.
In an interview last year, Albag's mother expressed her fear about the changes her daughter might have undergone during her captivity. She confessed, "I know that Liri is a strong girl. But now in my heart, I feel that she has become weak - and I don't know how to help her to get stronger."
Negotiations are currently underway in Doha to broker a ceasefire deal that would end the violence and secure the release of the hostages. Incoming President Donald Trump has warned of severe consequences if the hostages are not returned before he takes office in a little over two weeks.
A representative for the hostage forum, an organization supporting the families of the captives, emphasized the urgency of the situation, stating, "Sixteen days remain until the ultimatum set by President-elect Trump. We must not lose this historic window of opportunity."
The October 7, 2023, attack by Hamas resulted in the death of 1,200 individuals and the abduction of 250 hostages, marking the largest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) has reportedly killed 45,000 Palestinians since the attack, although Israel maintains that approximately half of these fatalities were terrorists.
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