A new video has surfaced showing the abduction of three Israeli men—Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Or Levy, and Eliya Cohen—by Hamas militants on October 7, 2023. The footage, released by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, depicts the men being driven in the back of a pickup truck along a road in southern Israel. Goldberg-Polin, an American-Israeli citizen, is seen with severe injuries, including the loss of his left arm from a grenade explosion.
The video has emerged amidst ongoing tensions concerning the hostages, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently suggesting a partial deal with Hamas to free some captives, a proposal that sparked criticism from the Forum and political figures in Israel. Netanyahu's comments diverged from a broader hostage-release proposal backed by U.S. President Joe Biden.
The release aims to spotlight the urgent need to bring all hostages home, highlighting their nearly nine-month-long captivity.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum emphasized the increasing risks to the captives with each passing day. The community and Israeli leaders are grappling with the implications of both the partial deal and the broader strategy for securing the hostages' release.