Israeli-Palestinian conflict
April 27, 2024
7.44pm
Hamas has released a new video showing two hostages in Gaza, Keith Samuel Siegel and Omri Miran. The appeal to the Netanyahu government: “Take part in the negotiations, it’s getting worse here.”
Omri Miran and Keith Samuel Siegel.
Hamas has released a new video showing two hostages to Gaza. The local newspaper reported it Haaretz. It’s about Keith Samuel Siegel, 64 year old with dual Israeli and American citizenship, kidnapped from his home in Kfar Azza, and of Omri Miran, seized on October 7th in the Nahal Oz kibbutz. The latter’s sister was recently, together with other families, received by Pope francesco in the Vatican.
In the video both spoke of a “harsh condition” due to the bombings on the Strip and spoke words of “love for their family”. Overwritten, Hamas claims that “the killing” of dozens of hostages in Israel’s raids prevented others from celebrating the Easter Jewish with their loved ones.”
The two kidnapped men also made an appeal to Israeli government to participate in negotiations for an agreement for their release. “I ask the Prime Minister and the entire government to participate in the negotiations” said Keith Siegel. Then, he turned to the family members of the hostages asking to “do everything possible and continue with the protests” to bring about a agreement. “I saw the demonstrations in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem several times,” she added in the video.
War in Gaza: Hamas studies Israel’s counter-proposal for a truce, Houthis strike oil tanker in the Red Sea
The video is not dated as always but there is a reference to the Jewish Passover, the holiday of Passover which is being celebrated between April 22nd and 29th. The hostages also stressed that they had been prisoners for 202 days. In the same video, clips of statements by the defense minister are shown Yoav Gallant and the prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu who speak of the need for military pressure to release the hostages.
Meanwhile, attempts to reach an agreement between the two parties continue, but they still remain difficult. “If an agreement is reached” between Israel and Hamas for the release of the hostages still in the Gaza Strip, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) “will suspend the operation planned in Rafah“said the Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz interviewed by News 12.
For its part, Hamas said there is little chance that Israel’s latest proposal for a hostage deal will be accepted “without substantial amendments. The proposal that has been presented by the Israelis does not reflect a fundamental change in their position. It does not provide clear answers to the issue of withdrawal from Gaza and a full ceasefire,” the official said without providing details on the proposal.
