Hamas’s Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades released a video showing Israeli-Russian hostage Maxim Herkin, who appears to have been injured in an Israeli strike. The footage shows Herkin lying on the ground with bandages on his head and arm, speaking in Hebrew about upcoming Israel’s Independence Day celebrations.
Herkin, 37, was identified by AFP and Israeli media as the Russian-Israeli national. His family urged restraint in sharing the video. In the clip, he urges pressure on the Israeli government to free remaining captives.
Herkin had previously appeared in a Hamas video with another hostage, Bar Kuperstein, in April. The two men were abducted during a Hamas attack on Israel that killed 1,218 people, mostly civilians. A truce in Gaza between Israel and Hamas came into effect in January but has stalled since then.
The Israeli government’s renewed offensive aims to force Hamas to release remaining captives, sparking concerns over their safety. Since the end of the truce, at least 2,396 people have been killed in Gaza, bringing the total death toll to 52,495.
Source: https://www.yahoo.com/news/hamas-armed-wing-releases-video-180504184.html