The Hamas terrorist group released a video Monday in which three of its hostages angrily turn on Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and blame him for allowing the October 7 invasion.
The Times of Israel reports the identities of the three women, whose statement was almost certainly dictated by their captors, are not immediately clear.
The Times report continues:
As the IDF intensifies its operation in the Gaza Strip, Hamas is thought to be employing various psychological manipulations to sow division and weaken Israelis’ resolve, while using the negotiations for the release of the estimated 240 captives it is holding to buy time and resources for its military campaign.
The Jerusalem Post has released the video on social media.
The description provided by Hamas read: “A number of Zionist prisoners held by Al-Qassam send a message to Netanyahu and the Zionist government.”
Here is a full translation:
Bibi Netanyahu, greetings.We are in captivity, the captivity of Hamas, twenty-three — how many days? — twenty-three days.Yesterday was the press conference with the families of the hostages.We know that there was the suggestion of a ceasefire. You said you would free all of us. You were obligated to free all of us. And instead of that, we carry the burden — political, security, military, official — of you, because of the crime that you did on the 7th of October, because the army wasn’t there, nobody arrived, nobody protected us, and we, simple citizens, citizens who pay taxes to the State of Israel, are in captivity. With conditions, without conditions, you are killing us. You will kill us. You want to kill all of us. You want the IDF to kill all of us. It’s not enough that you slaughtered all of them? Not enough Israeli citizens have died? Free. Free us now. Free their [Palestinian] citizens, free their prisoners, free us, free — free all of us, let us, let us return to our families, now! Now! Now! Now! Now!
The Post makes clear it should be noted the Hamas terror group is “known for waging psychological warfare and their media is not to be taken at face value.”
UPDATE: Late Monday a statement was released from Prime Minister Netanyahu’s office:
This is cruel psychological propaganda by Hamas-ISIS.
We embrace the families and are doing everything to return all of the captives and missing to their families.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu:
“To Yelena Trupanob, Daniel Aloni and Rimon Kirsht, who were abducted by Hamas, which is committing war crimes. I embrace you. Our hearts are with you and the other the captives.
“We are doing everything to bring home all of the captives and missing.”
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