Hamas militants based in Gaza have released a video featuring Hersh Goldberg-Polin, an Israeli-American hostage, offering the first tangible proof of his survival since the devastating October 7 attack—an act of retaliation against Israel’s longstanding occupation of Palestinian territories dating back to 1948.
At the time of his abduction, during the chaos of the Nova music festival amidst Hamas’ relentless assaults on Israel, Goldberg-Polin was just 23 years old. The assault, which claimed the lives of over 1,200 individuals and resulted in the capture of more than 200 hostages, marked one of the bloodiest chapters in the ongoing conflict.
In the video, Goldberg-Polin, bearing the visible trauma of his missing left arm, sits solemnly in a chair, directly addressing the camera. Although the exact date of filming remains undisclosed, he dutifully confirms his identity, providing his date of birth and the names of his parents. He mentions enduring captivity for “almost 200 days,” indicating that the footage was likely recorded close to the 200th-day milestone of the relentless warfare.
Eyewitness accounts from a young woman who shared a bunker with Goldberg-Polin during the October 7 onslaught vividly recount his valiant efforts to defend against the attackers, including his courageous act of hurling grenades before suffering the grievous injury to his arm.
Goldberg-Polin’s impassioned address in the video does not shy away from accusing the Israeli Prime Minister of deliberately obstructing potential negotiations between Hamas and Israel—a bold assertion that underscores the deeply entrenched political complexities fueling the conflict.
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