The military wing of the Palestinian group Hamas, known as the Qassam Brigades, released a video on Monday claiming to show the bodies of two Israeli captives they allege were killed in Israeli air strikes on Gaza.
The unverified video features three Israeli captives, including a female identified as Noa Argamani, 26, and two males. Argamani became the face of the hostage crisis when video showed her being kidnapped from the Nova music fest appeared Monday in her third Hamas clip to reveal that Yossi Sharabi and Itai Svirsky had been killed in captivity. In an apparent extended version of the video circulated on social media included horrifying images believed to be Sharabi and Svirsky’s bloodied corpses being put into body bags.
In the propaganda video, appeals to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to end the assault on Gaza can be heard. Argamani states that the two male captives were killed due to Israeli air strikes. The exact timing of the video remains unclear.
The Qassam Brigades, in a statement accompanying the video, asserts that the two men were killed in bombings by the Israeli army. Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari confirmed the identity of one hostage, Svirsky, but withheld details about the second person based on the family’s request. Hagari dismissed Hamas’ claim that Svirsky was shot by Israeli forces, stating that the building where they were held was not a target and was not attacked.
Israel’s Defence Minister Yoav Gallant stated that Hamas is using psychological pressure by releasing such videos, attempting to influence the families of the hostages.
He assured that the Israeli army is supporting the families and keeping them informed about any developments. Hamas had previously released another video on Sunday showing the three captives alive. The Palestinian group had captured around 240 people during an attack on southern Israel on October 7, resulting in 1,139 casualties, according to Israeli authorities.
