Israel
Hamas releases propaganda video as hostages say ‘there is no safe place’ in Gaza
Both of the hostages' families gave the go-ahead for the video to be published
March 25, 2025 10:20
Both of the hostages' families gave the go-ahead for the video to be published
March 25, 2025 10:20Hamas has released a video showing two Israeli hostages, Elkana Bohbot and Yosef-Haim Ohana, from Gaza.
The footage shows the two men sitting on the floor, looking pale and worn. Both were kidnapped from the Nova Music Festival on October 7.
Bohbot, 35, an Israeli-Colombian dual national from Mevatseret Zion near Jerusalem, and Ohana, 24, from Kiryat Malachi in southern Israel, were both taken to Gaza during the assault.
🇵🇸🇮🇱 Hamas has aired a propaganda video showing signs of life from hostages Elkana Bohbot and Yosef-Haim Ohana.
"Time is running out." pic.twitter.com/LMAVj4Qo9k
In the video, Bohbot says, “Until yesterday, I had a name, an ID, and hope. Today, I am just a number.”
Ohana clarifies in the video that the footage was not intended as psychological warfare but as a request for their voices to be heard.
He describes the conditions they endured, particularly before the recent ceasefire.
“There was almost no food,” Ohana says. “There was no safe place. What was even worse was that we felt neither dead nor alive.”
According to the Times of Israel, the families of both Bohbot and Ohana gave Israeli media the go-ahead to publish the video in its entirety.
“You can see in the video that he is in bad shape, that he has lost a lot of weight from continued starvation, that he is suffering from problems with his skin and his breathing,” said Bohbot’s family in a statement, noting that he suffers from asthma and “hasn’t seen the light of day for almost a year and a half.”
The video also discusses the end of the ceasefire on March 18, when Israel resumed airstrikes on Gaza.
In the video, Bohbot directs his comments toward the Israeli government, calling for the voices of released hostages to be heard.
“Enough with this government silencing our voices,” he says. “The prisoners who were with us before and are now released, give them a chance to speak and express their opinions. Stop silencing their voices. Let them speak. Let the truth come out.”
He specifically addresses Ohad Ben-Ami, a released hostage, asking, "Why don’t you tell them? You were with us.”
Bohbot, who was previously seen in footage from the October 7 attack, asks Ben-Ami, "Ohad, why don’t you tell them? You were with us. You were sitting with me and him.”
Currently, 59 hostages are believed to remain in Hamas captivity, with at least 35 presumed dead.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz has recently threatened to annex parts of Gaza unless the remaining captives are freed.
“If the Hamas terror group continues to refuse to release the captives, I instructed the IDF to capture additional areas, evacuate the population, and expand the security zone around Gaza for the protection of Israeli communities,” Katz said on Friday.
He also stated that the military campaign in Gaza would continue until the hostages are released.
Ben-Ami, who was mentioned in the video, responded to the appeal from his former captives.
In a Facebook post, he wrote, "I love you, and I miss you and the other three hostages who, for now, I can’t say their names. They fear for their lives, they are lacking all hope, and as we speak the conditions of their captivity are being worsened and their food is being reduced since we returned to fighting [in Gaza].”
Ben-Ami, who is currently in Germany advocating for the hostages’ release, stated that he would continue efforts to bring the hostages home.