Hamas Releases Video of 3 Hostages, Escalating Pressure on Israeli Leaders

Hamas’ military wing, Al Qassam Brigades, has released a new video featuring three Israeli women held captive, in a clear effort to increase pressure on the Israeli government amidst discussions of a potential hostage exchange.

The video, disseminated through the messaging app Telegram, starts with an animated hourglass displaying the images of the three women, accompanied by a message stating, “Time is running out, more than 107 days have passed, before it is too late.” The video then shows edited footage of each hostage speaking.

The hostages, identified as 19-year-old soldiers Karina Ariev and Daniel Gilboa, along with 30-year-old Doron Steinbrecher, are seen urging the Israeli government for their release, and it appears they are speaking under coercion.

This new release follows the pattern of previous videos by the militant group, characterized by high production values, including jump cuts, dramatized sound effects, and sophisticated transitions and graphics. These videos are part of Hamas’ strategy to use hostages as bargaining chips and to psychologically torment the captives’ families, a tactic that has been acknowledged and criticized by the Israeli military.