Hamas publishes a video of two Israeli hostages kidnapped on October 7

On Saturday, Hamas released a video recording of two Israeli hostages it kidnapped in its October 7 attack in southern Israel and took them to the Gaza Strip, reports AFP, quoted by News.ro.

The two hostages are Keith Siegel, 64 years old, and Omri Miran, 47 years old.

The Palestinian Islamist movement on Wednesday released a video recording of another Israeli hostage, 23-year-old Hersh Goldberg-Polin.

This new video is undated, but Omri Miran says it has been in the hands of Hamas for 202 days.

His 202nd day of captivity falls on Thursday.

The recording is published amid negotiations, mediated by Qatar and Egypt, with a view to an armistice in the Gaza War and the release of a number of hostages.

Omri Miran – who seems to be speaking under duress – describes a “difficult situation”, due to the “numerous bombings” by Israel in the Gaza Strip.

He is asking his family to put pressure on Benjamin Netanyahu’s government to reach an agreement with Hamas that would allow the release of the hostages.

He says he hopes to be reunited with his family on Israel’s Independence Day, May 14.

Keith Siegel, aged 64, refers to the Pessah holiday – the Jewish Easter -, whose week of festivities ends this year on Monday night – spent with his family last year and says he is “hoping for the nicest possible surprise”, after which he bursts into tears and hides his face.

“We are in danger here. There are bombs. It’s stressful and terrible,” he says, after which he asks Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Government to negotiate to quickly reach an agreement that would allow the release of the hostages.

The statements of the hostages are interspersed with messages from Hamas, written in Hebrew and Arabic and addressed to Israeli citizens, such as “military pressure did not allow the release of your captives”, “your leaders (…) have nothing to do with the fate of your captive sons and what how they feel” or “do what you have to do before it’s too late”.

“This test of life by Keith Siegel and Omri Miran clearly shows that the Israeli Government must do everything possible to conclude an agreement for the return of all hostages by the holiday of independence”, declares the Hostage Families Forum.