Al-Qassam Brigades releases new video of Israeli solider held in Gaza

Ahram Online , Saturday 4 Jan 2025

The Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, released a video on Saturday featuring a female Israeli soldier held captive in Gaza, addressing the Israeli government, questioning its commitment to securing her release saying: "Do you want to kill us?"

Social media
A snap shot of Liri Al-Baaj, an Israeli soldier held by Al-Qassam Brigades the military wing of Hamas in Gaza. courtesy of Social media.

 

The military media in Al-Qassam published the video with Arabic subtitles that read: "I am Liri Al-Baaj, I am 19 years old. I have been a prisoner in Gaza for more than 450 days. I am only 19 years old. My whole life is still ahead of me. My life has stopped".

The Israeli soldier added: "Today is the beginning of a new year. The whole world is celebrating. We are just beginning a dark year and a year of loneliness. We are not at the top of our government's or army's priorities. Even the world has begun to forget us and does not care about our suffering".

Al-Baaj criticised the Israeli government and military, accusing them of indifference. “If your loved ones were the ones in captivity, would the war continue until now? Do you want to kill us?” she asked. Directing her remarks to Israel’s Defense Minister, she added, “You know my father. Look at him and tell him that he and my mother will not embrace their daughter. Look at him and tell him that. You will not have the courage. You do not dare to say that".

She continued: "My colleague is seriously injured due to the current army operations. We are in a very terrifying nightmare. Our survival depends on the army withdrawing and not reaching us".

She continued: "After I saw death with my own eyes and what happened to my friend. I realized that our lives are not important to you. I understand that we are a toy for you. I simply understood that you are playing with our destinies".

Al-Baaj warned against the continuation of Israel's military operations to secure captives, calling such attempts futile. “You won’t get us out of here alive through military operations. This is a crazy chase. What we are living through because of you is not normal. We are under constant bombing every day. Do you know what life is like in a place where there is no shelter?”

Indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas for a truce in Gaza are to resume in Qatar, according to Hamas’s statement late Friday.

"Indirect negotiations will resume today, Friday, in the Qatari capital Doha," the Palestinian resistance group said.

The group added the talks would "focus on ensuring the agreement leads to a complete cessation of hostilities (and) the withdrawal of occupation forces," according to AFP.

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz confirmed on Saturday that indirect negotiations have resumed in Qatar.

The minister told relatives of the woman soldier Liri Albag, that "efforts are underway to free the hostages, notably the Israeli delegation which left yesterday (Friday) for negotiations in Qatar," his office said.

Mediators Qatar, Egypt and the United States have been engaged in months of back-and-forth talks between Israel and Hamas that have failed to end more than a year of devastating war on Gaza and release detainees from both sides.

A key obstacle to a deal has been Israel's reluctance to agree to a lasting ceasefire.

In November 2023, Israel released 240 Palestinian prisoners, 107 of whom were between 14 and 17 years old, and three-quarters of whom had not been convicted of a crime.

In exchange, Hamas released 105 people, which included 81 Israelis, 23 Thais and one Filipino.

Israel has so far killed at least 45,717 people in Gaza since the war erupted, with over 108,856 others injured.

Thousands of victims are feared trapped under rubble, inaccessible to emergency and civil defence teams due to Israeli attacks.

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