The armed wing of the Palestinian group Islamic Jihad in Gaza released a video on Thursday showing an elderly woman and a young boy who were among around 240 hostages seized by militant gunmen who attacked Israel on Oct. 7. The group said in a separate statement that they are willing to release the pair, Hanna Katzir, 77, and Yagil Yaakov, 12, both of Kibbutz Nir Oz, for “humanitarian reasons.”
The Associated Press has the story:
Islamic Jihad militant says it is willing to release 2 Israeli hostages
Newslooks- JERUSALEM, (AP)
The armed wing of the Palestinian group Islamic Jihad in Gaza released a video on Thursday showing an elderly woman and a young boy who were among around 240 hostages seized by militant gunmen who attacked Israel on Oct. 7.
It said it was prepared to release the two for humanitarian and medical reasons once appropriate conditions were met. It did not give further details.
Gaza-based Palestinian militants seized the hostages during an assault on southern Israeli communities that killed some 1,400 Israelis and foreigners, the Israeli military has said.
The vast majority are believed to be in the hands of Hamas, but Islamic Jihad, a smaller militant group in Gaza that is allied to the territory’s ruling movement, has said previously it held at least 30 captives.
In the video, the elderly woman said she missed her children. “I hope I will manage to see you next week. We are happy and healthy and we want everyone to be happy,” she said, seated in a wheelchair.
The video is the third film of hostages to be released by Gaza militants, who have so far freed four captives – the last couple a pair of 85-year-old women who returned to Israel on Oct. 23.
The group said in a separate statement that they are willing to release the pair, Yagil Jacob and Hanna Katzir, for “humanitarian reasons”
The Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist group released a psychological warfare hostage video on Thursday of two Israelis being held in Gaza.
The group said in a separate statement that they are willing to release the pair, Hanna Katzir, 77, and Yagil Yaakov, 12, both of Kibbutz Nir Oz, for “humanitarian reasons.”
The Yaakov family and the Katzir family requested that at this time, media outlets do not broadcast the video published by Hamas.
In the video, both of the hostages criticize Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of Israel and the actions of the Israeli government, while praising Islamic Jihad and the treatment they have received in Gaza.
Both of these hostages have complicated medical situations- Hanna’s family previously released a statement saying that they are “very concerned about Hanna, a former kibbutz nanny who uses a walker, since she takes medications and requires constant medical attention.”
Additionally, the young boy, Yagil, has a life threatening peanut allergy. TheIsraeli Association of Allergy and Clinical Immunology has previously sent an urgent call to international Allergy organizations insisting that the boy be seen and examined by representatives of the Red Cross, and be provided with injectable epinephrine.
The armed wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group has posted videos of two Israeli hostages held in Gaza.
The group said it was prepared to release a 77-year-old woman and a 13-year-old boy for humanitarian and medical reasons, but only if “appropriate measures” were met.
Israel described the videos as an important sign of life, but declined to say whether they would be released.
That would play into the captors’ “psychological terror”, it said.
In the video, the two hostages are seen addressing the camera.
The woman, Hanna Katsir, a woman in her 70s, is seen sitting in a wheelchair. She was abducted from kibbutz Nir Oz on 7 October, when Hamas attacked Israel.
The second is a teenage boy from the same community.
Both hostages sharply criticise Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu. It is unclear whether they are reading from a script.
Earlier, the Israeli President, Isaac Herzog, dismissed reports that a deal to free some of the hostages held in Gaza might be imminent.
The Israeli military says that 242 people are being held hostage in Gaza. Four hostages have been released and another was freed by Israeli forces.
Hamas says it has hidden the hostages it holds in “safe places and tunnels” within Gaza. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have previously said the hostages include 20 children and between 10 and 20 over-60s.
Mr Herzog said on Thursday he had not seen any substantial information on the subject of possible releases.
He spoke as the Qatari prime minister hosted a meeting in Doha with the heads of the CIA and Mossad, during which they reportedly discussed the possible terms of a deal for more hostages to be freed.
Meanwhile two senior Hamas officials, Ismail Haniyeh and Khaled Meshaal, arrived in Cairo, where reports suggested they met the head of Egyptian intelligence General Abbas Kamel.
Qatari and Egyptian networks have both said that the emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, is expected to visit Cairo tomorrow.
