1 month ago
64
January 5, 2025 | 08:21 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Palestinian militant group Hamas released a video on Saturday, January 4, 2025, of an Israeli hostage. The 19-year-old woman named Liri Albag has been held hostage in Gaza since the October 2023 attack.
In the undated three-and-a-half-minute video, Liri Albag spoke in Hebrew. Reported by Al Arabiya, she asked the Israeli government to guarantee her release.
The Hostage and Missing Families Forum, a campaign group for relatives of abductees, said Albag's family had not authorized the video to be published. Albag's family said the video had torn their hearts apart.
"This is not the daughter and sister we knew. Her severe psychological distress is clearly visible," the family's statement said. They called on the Israeli government and world leaders not to miss the current opportunity to bring all the hostages back alive.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded to the video. He said that Israel continues to work tirelessly to bring the hostages home. "Anyone who dares to harm our hostages will be held fully responsible for their actions," he said.
Liri Albag was drafted into military service when he was 18. He was captured by Palestinian militants at the Nahal Oz base on the Gaza border.
Hamas and its ally Islamic Jihad have released videos of Israeli hostages held during nearly 15 months of fighting in Gaza. Hamas took 251 hostages during the 2023 offensive, 96 of whom are still in Gaza. The Israeli military says 34 of them were killed.
Hamas said late Friday that indirect negotiations with Israel for a ceasefire were underway. The deal to free the hostages would resume in Qatar later that night.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz confirmed that indirect negotiations with Hamas had resumed in Qatar. Katz told Albag's family that efforts were underway to free the hostages, notably an Israeli delegation that left yesterday (Friday) for talks in Qatar.
Mediators Qatar, Egypt and the United States have been involved in months of failed efforts to end the war. Weekly demonstrations organized by a hostage forum have kept pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to bring the hostages home.
On Thursday, Netanyahu's office said it had allowed Israeli negotiators to join the latest round of talks in Qatar.
Editor's Choice: WHO Says Israel's Reasons for Attacking Gaza Hospitals Are Unjustified and Baseless
Click here to get the latest news updates from Tempo on Google News
WHO Says Israel's Reasons for Attacking Gaza Hospitals Are Unjustified and Baseless
8 jam lalu
WHO urges Israel to immediately release the Director of Kamal Adwan Hospital, Abu Safiya, from detention.
U.S. Plans $8 Billion Arms Sale to Israel, US Official Says
21 jam lalu
U.S. President administration has notified Congress of a proposed $8 billion arms sale to Israel, a U.S. official said on Friday
Israel Defends Gaza Hospital Raid, UN Rights Chief Says Its Explanation is Vague
1 hari lalu
Israel on Friday defended its raid on a north Gaza hospital last week while the U.N. human rights chief called the justification unsubstantiated
Israeli Airstrikes Kill Gaza Head of Police and 67 Others, Gaza Authorities Say
2 hari lalu
Israeli airstrikes killed at least 68 Palestinians across the Gaza Strip on Thursday. The death toll was among the highest of recent weeks.
Over 82,000 Israelis Leave Country in 2024, Official Figures Show
2 hari lalu
More than 82,000 Israelis left the country in 2024 as the government pressed ahead with its brutal war on Gaza.
Palestinian Authority Suspends Broadcast of Qatar's Al Jazeera TV Temporarily
2 hari lalu
The Palestinian Authority temporarily halted operations of Qatar's Al Jazeera television in the territory including its broadcasts.
Gaza Population Down by 6% Since Start of War, Says Palestinian Statistics Bureau
3 hari lalu
The population of Gaza has fallen 6% since the war with Israel began nearly 15 months ago, according to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics.
Former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant Resigns From Politics
3 hari lalu
Former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said on Wednesday he was resigning from parliament.
Israeli Strikes Kill at Least 17 Palestinians in Gaza, WAFA Reports
4 hari lalu
Israeli air strikes on al-Bureij refugee camp and Jabalia town in central and northern Gaza killed at least 17 Palestinians on Wednesday.
Amid Ceasefire Push, Palestinians Bear the Scars of Israeli Detention
4 hari lalu
Alleged abuses and psychological harm to Palestinian detainees in Israeli prisons and camps are in renewed focus amid efforts to secure a ceasefire.
