CAIRO/JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Palestinian Islamist group Hamas aired a brand new video on Monday displaying what it mentioned had been the our bodies of two Israeli hostages, and Israel’s navy mentioned that whereas it was analyzing the footage, there was severe concern relating to the hostages’ destiny.
Within the video, 26-year-old college pupil Noa Argamani, seemingly studying a script in entrance of a clean white wall, mentioned that fellow hostages Itai Svirsky and Yossi Sharabi had been killed.
The video ends with photos purporting to be the lifeless our bodies of each males.
Aragamani mentioned within the video that they had been killed by Israeli strikes, whereas she was injured.
Navy spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari recognized hostage Itai Svirsky as one of many males, however didn’t give the title or different particulars in regards to the second as per the household’s request.
“Itai was not shot by our forces. That may be a Hamas lie. The constructing by which they had been held was not a goal and it was not attacked by our forces,” Hagari instructed reporters.
“We do not assault a spot if we all know there could also be hostages inside,” he mentioned, including that areas close by had been focused.
The navy, he mentioned, was analyzing the images Hamas posted together with different info it had.
Argamani turned a outstanding face among the many greater than 200 hostages taken throughout Hamas’ Oct. 7 bloodbath throughout southern Israel that sparked the conflict in Gaza.
She attended the music competition that turned a killing area and was filmed by her captors being taken into Gaza on the again of a motorbike, screaming for her life and reaching for her boyfriend who was being pushed on foot beside her.
“Cease this insanity, return us to our households whereas we’re nonetheless alive. Return us residence,” she mentioned in Monday’s video.
Sharabi, 53, was taken hostage from Kibbutz Beeri, one of many hardest hit communities within the Hamas assault, alongside along with his brother. His spouse managed to save lots of their daughters whereas his brother’s household was killed.
Svirsky, 35, was additionally taken from Kibbutz Beeri after being shot and wounded and witnessing the killing of his mom. His father was additionally killed.
A day earlier Hamas aired a video displaying the three hostages and promising to reveal their destiny. Israeli Protection Minister Yoav Gallant mentioned on Monday that Hamas carries out “psychological abuse” with its dealing with of the hostages.
Forensic officers in Israel have mentioned that autopsies of slain hostages who had been recovered discovered causes of demise inconsistent with Hamas’ account they’d died in air strikes. However Israel has additionally made clear it’s conscious of the dangers to hostages from its offensive, and is taking precautions.
Round half of some 240 folks seized by Hamas on Oct. 7 had been launched in a November truce. Israel says 132 stay in Gaza and that 25 of them have died in captivity.
The hostage disaster has riveted Israelis reeling from the worst assault of their historical past. Some hostages’ kin have known as on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to enter one other truce and even name off the conflict.
Gallant mentioned that with out maintaining navy stress, Hamas would haven’t any purpose to launch extra hostages.
(Reporting by Hatem Maher, Muhammad Al Gebaly and Ari Rabinovitch; Enhancing by Andrew Heavens and Philippa Fletcher)
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