Hamas's military wing released a video on Monday showing three living elderly Israelis among the hostages it has been holding in the Gaza Strip since the Oct. 7 attack on Israeli soil.
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In the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades video titled “Let’s not grow old here,” the three bearded men are seen sitting on chairs and one of them sends a message to the Israeli authorities, asking them to do what is necessary do obtain their release.
According to Israeli media, the three hostages shown in the video are aged 79 to 84 and come from Kibbutz Nir Oz, one of the communities subjected to an unprecedented attack by Hamas commandos in southern Israel on October 7.
“This is a video of criminal terror that shows Hamas' brutality against elderly and innocent civilians in need of medical attention,” army spokesman Daniel Hagari responded.
The Oct. 7 attack left about 1,140 people dead in Israel, mostly civilians, according to an AFP count based on the latest official Israeli figures available. About 250 people were taken hostage, 129 of whom are still being held in Gaza, according to Israeli authorities.
In retaliation, the Israeli authorities vowed to destroy Hamas and have been shelling the Gaza Strip relentlessly since October 7 and conducting ground operations there since October 27.
Since the outbreak of hostilities, 19,453 people, mostly women, children and teenagers, have been killed in the Gaza Strip, according to the latest figure announced by the Hamas government on Monday.