Appeal to Israeli government: Video of German-Israeli hostage in Gaza released

There is a suspected sign of life from a German-Israeli hostage: The militant Palestinian organization Islamic Jihad shows a severely emaciated young man appealing to Israel to facilitate his release.

The terrorist group Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) has released a new video of a German-Israeli hostage. 21-year-old Rom Braslavski from Jerusalem was kidnapped by terrorists from a music festival, where he was working as a security guard, during the massacre carried out by Hamas and other extremist groups in Israel on October 7, 2023. A video of Braslavski had already been released a few months ago. Israel condemns such videos as abhorrent means of psychological warfare.

According to the Hostage Families Forum, Braslavski's family initially refused to show the video or reproduce its content. Only a still image was released, in which Braslavski appears to be lying down crying. In the video, the young man, who is clearly under duress, appeals to the Israeli government to facilitate his release. The circumstances under which the video was made are unknown, and the time of recording is also unclear.

Following the release, Braslavksi's family issued a statement on the hostage families' forum: "We are deeply shocked. People are talking a lot about the events in Gaza, about the hunger, and I would like to ask everyone who has talked about the hunger: Have you seen our Rom? He is receiving neither food nor medicine. He was simply forgotten there."

On October 7, 2023, approximately 1,200 people were killed in southern Israel, and more than 250 were taken hostage to the Gaza Strip. The Hamas massacre triggered the Gaza War. Israel estimates that about 20 of the 50 hostages still being held are still alive. Braslavski's family called for the release of all hostages. "Rome is an example for all hostages. They must all be brought home now."