editor’s Note: WARNING: This story contains a graphic image.
cnn
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Hamas released a video of Israeli-American hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin on Wednesday, the first evidence that he escaped serious injury during his capture on October 7.
Goldberg-Polin, who was 23 at the time, was abducted from the Nova music festival during the Hamas attacks on Israel, when more than 1,200 people were killed and more than 200 taken hostage.
The undated video shows him missing part of his left hand several inches above the hand.
Video filmed on October 7 showed that Goldberg-Polin had been taken hostage and that her hand was seriously injured. A first-hand account from a young woman who was in the bunker with him when the Hamas attack occurred said that she had helped throw the grenades before her arm was blown off below the elbow.
The latest video shows Goldberg-Palin sitting on a chair and addressing the camera. Sometimes gesturing with his injured arm, he identifies himself and gives his date of birth and the names of his parents.
He says he has “been here for about 200 days”, suggesting that the video was filmed shortly before Tuesday, the 200th day of the war.
Goldberg-Polin’s hair is cut short in the video, which is edited with multiple cuts from wide shot to close up.
He criticizes the Israeli government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as do other Israeli hostages in Hamas propaganda videos. Held hostage in Gaza for six months, he is almost certainly speaking under duress.
He mentions Israeli government ministers sitting down to holiday dinners with their families, apparently a reference to the Jewish holiday of Passover, which began Monday night and is traditionally celebrated with a family dinner. .
He urges his family to stay strong for him and ends by saying that he hopes he will be able to give them some comfort over the holidays.
According to a US official, the Biden administration received the video on Monday – two days before Hamas made it public – and officials have since been in contact with Goldberg-Polin’s family. The official said the FBI’s Hostage Recovery Fusion Cell is examining the video for any possible evidence and information that may be unearthed about Goldberg-Polin and her captivity.
Goldberg-Polin is one of the most recognizable of the 129 hostages remaining in Gaza. Banners and murals have been displayed in Jerusalem that read: “Bring home the joy,” and her parents Rachel and Jonathan regularly meet with top US officials in Washington to press the hostage case. .
129 October 7 Of the 129 hostages still held in Gaza, the Israeli government believes 33 are dead.
Following the release of the video, the Goldberg-Polin family demanded immediate action to release their son and other hostages still held in Gaza.
“I am overwhelmed by watching Harsh’s video today. We are relieved to see him alive, but we are also concerned about his health and well-being, as well as that of all the other hostages and all the people suffering in this region,” said his parents Rachel Goldberg-Polin and John Polin. Said in a video. statement.
The Goldberg-Polin family has called on the negotiating parties, including Qatar, Egypt, the United States, Hamas and Israel, to intensify efforts and reach an agreement that will reunite the families and end their suffering.
He also sent a personal message to his son, “Harsh, we heard your voice today for the first time in 201 days. If you can hear us, know that we love you. Stay strong, stay alive.”
Goldberg-Polin’s hostage video released Wednesday was the first evidence that he survived the injuries he suffered on October 7. Previous footage taken on the day of the attack shows Hamas fighters carrying him away from a bomb shelter, with part of his arm missing. ,
Goldberg-Polin’s parents first saw the video after an interview with CNN’s Anderson Cooper in October. The pair were recounting eyewitness accounts of how their son was taken into captivity during a live TV interview when Cooper realized he had heard details of the story before.
A few days earlier, an Israeli soldier at the Nova concert venue had shown Cooper a video of Hamas fighters throwing grenades into a bomb shelter. The video also shows a young Israeli man – with his hand blown off and the bone removed from his wrist – being dragged out of the shelter and thrown into the back of a truck with four other people. Cooper realized that it was Rachel and John’s son.
Anderson Cooper realized about a mortgage during a live interview with his parents
Not wanting to broadcast news about them on live TV, Cooper contacted them after the interview and asked if they wanted to watch the video. He later confirmed that the man in the video was his son and requested that the video be shared more widely.
Rachel Goldberg-Polin was told by witnesses that about 29 people were gathered together in the shelter before Hamas began throwing grenades. Eight people survived by hiding under the bodies of the dead, while his son was one of several taken hostage.
Rachel Goldberg-Polin has campaigned for her son’s release for the past six months. She told CNN in January that she wears a piece of tape for every day that has passed since Hersh was snatched by Hamas fighters.
Harsh, who is left-handed, was ready to go on a trip around the world that he had planned. On December 27, when he was scheduled to leave, his mother went to the airport with friends and gave joy stickers to the passengers on her flight and asked them to send pictures of the places they visit.
