Hamas posts video of hostage for first time
Hamas posted a video on the evening of 16 October of a young French-Israeli woman being held hostage in the Gaza Strip.
Source: CNN
Details: In the video, 21-year-old Mia Schem says she had suffered an arm injury and was taken to Gaza.
This is the first video Hamas has released of hostages being held in Gaza. Israeli authorities said they believed 199 people were being held in Gaza, while a Hamas spokesman said on Monday they were holding at least 200 to 250 prisoners.
The Israel Defence Forces said it had notified Schem's family of her abduction last week and was now in contact with them.
In addition, they said that they are using "all intelligence and operational means to return the abductees" and that "Hamas is trying to present itself as a humanitarian organisation while acting as a hideous terrorist organisation responsible for killing and kidnapping infants, women, children and the elderly."
A representative of Al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas' militant branch, earlier said the group was "committed" to protecting hostages and that it would release hostages with foreign citizenship when "the opportunity arises on the ground."
Background:
- On 16 October, it was revealed that the White House is not ruling out the possibility that the US military might have to help free hostages held by Hamas.
- The European Commission decided on 15 October to triple the amount of humanitarian aid for the Gaza Strip to EUR 75 million.
- The Iranian Foreign Ministry says Hamas is potentially ready to release nearly 200 hostages it is holding if Israel stops its airstrikes on Gaza. The terrorist group did not acknowledge that it had made such an offer.
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