GAZA CITY:
The armed wing of the Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad released a new video on Thursday showing Rom Braslavski, an Israeli-German dual national abducted from Israel during the October 2023 attack that triggered the war in Gaza.
In the six-minute video, Braslavski is seen watching Arabic-language television covering the current hunger crisis in Gaza. Speaking in Hebrew, he identifies himself and pleads with the Israeli government to secure his release.
Braslavski, originally from Jerusalem, worked as a security agent at the Nova music festival — one of the major sites stormed by Hamas and Islamic Jihad militants during the coordinated attack that left hundreds dead and sparked the conflict.
Identity Confirmed
Though the authenticity and filming date of the video have not been independently confirmed, both AFP and several Israeli media outlets have identified the man as Braslavski.
Islamic Jihad claims to have lost contact with the hostage — a statement echoed in the commentary of the video. This suggests that the footage may have been recorded weeks earlier.
Heroic Acts Before Abduction
Witnesses say Braslavski helped rescue several festivalgoers before he was captured. A previous video of him was released by Islamic Jihad in April 2024.
Hostage Situation in Gaza
According to the Israeli military, a total of 251 individuals were abducted from Israel during the October 2023 attacks. Of those, 49 are still held in Gaza, with 27 confirmed dead.
Recent Developments
Between January 19 and March 17, a temporary truce allowed 33 hostages to return to Israel — eight of them deceased — in exchange for the release of approximately 1,800 Palestinian prisoners.
Islamic Jihad remains designated as a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union.
0 comments:
Post a Comment