TEL AVIV (AP) — Recently released footage has revealed poignant moments of six Israeli hostages celebrating the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah while being held captive in a Gaza tunnel. This revelation comes several months before their tragic deaths, which Israel claims were at the hands of Hamas last August, just prior to Israeli military forces intervening in the area.
The videos and photographs were disclosed by the forum representing the families of the hostages, showcasing Israeli-American Hersh Goldberg-Polin, 23; Ori Danino, 25; Eden Yerushalmi, 24; Almog Sarusi, 27; Alexander Lobanov, 33; and Carmel Gat, 40. They depict the captives engaged in activities such as walking through the tunnel, playing cards, and lighting Hanukkah candles, likely filmed in December 2023, during a period shortly after their abduction on October 7 during a Hamas assault that ignited the current conflict.
The Israeli army asserted that the bodies of the six hostages were retrieved from a tunnel in Rafah, southern Gaza, and that autopsy results confirmed they had been shot at close range by Hamas. A senior Hamas official at the time claimed that the hostages would have survived if Israel had accepted a recent U.S.-backed proposal they had endorsed.
The killings of the hostages ignited widespread protests across Israel, as the nation grappled with ceasefire negotiations that were faltering. Many demonstrators pointed fingers at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for his failure to secure a resolution. Some of the victims—Goldberg-Polin, Yerushalmi, and Gat—were included in a preliminary release plan discussed just a month prior to their deaths.
Gili Roman, who has familial connections to Gat, expressed heartbreak over the situation, stating, “They managed to protect their humanity and each other, and we failed to protect them.” Roman criticized Netanyahu for claiming success in bringing hostages home only to recover them deceased. The videos, which the families viewed months earlier, were only recently handed over by the military.
The release of the footage serves as a poignant reminder of the failures on both sides to reach an agreement to ensure the safety of the hostages when they were still alive. Gil Dickmann, a cousin of Gat, noted that the focus now should be on the return of the last remaining hostage, police officer Ran Gvili. Dickmann emphasized the families' demand for the government and Hamas to prioritize Gvili’s return before advancing to the next phase of the ongoing ceasefire negotiations.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the families condemned Hamas for using the videos as propaganda. They expressed gratitude to individuals both in Israel and worldwide for taking the time to witness the harrowing footage, emphasizing that their loved ones, who were alive and showed resilience and solidarity even in captivity, should have returned home alive. The upcoming Hanukkah holiday, juxtaposed against the backdrop of ongoing ceasefire negotiations, adds gravity to the situation as global stakeholders, including the U.S. and various international parties, strive to navigate the complexities of the second phase of the ceasefire agreement.
The series of videos illustrates heartwarming moments. The hostages, seated on blankets, are captured engaging in prayer over Hanukkah candles and expressing hope for their return. One of the videos features Goldberg-Polin reassuring his family, stating, “We are here in good health, alive, and they are taking care of us. We want to return back home.” Meanwhile, Sarusi delivers a hopeful message, wishing everyone a happy holiday and expressing faith in the miracles of the season for their eventual return home.
This new footage adds a deeply emotional layer to the ongoing conflict, underscoring both the humanity of those affected and the tragic complexities surrounding hostage situations and warfare.
