Hamas Publishes New Hostage Footage as Israeli Offensive Nears
Hamas on Friday circulated a new propaganda video featuring Israeli hostages Alon Ohel and Guy Gilboa-Dalal, both of whom have been in captivity for nearly 700 days following their abduction during the October 7, 2023 assault on Israel.
The release of the footage comes amid mounting signs of a major Israeli military push into Gaza City, where Gilboa-Dalal states in the clip that he is being held by Hamas’s Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades.
For Ohel, the video marks his first appearance since his abduction alongside Gilboa-Dalal and over 240 others in the October 7 attacks. Security officials have cautioned that ongoing military action could heighten the risks for those still in captivity. In response, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum renewed its call on the Israeli government to prioritize a negotiated release deal rather than advancing with the planned operation.
Gilboa-Dalal’s relatives authorized the publication of a 28-second excerpt from the longer recording. In it, he identifies the date as August 28, 2025, and appears visibly distressed—clutching his face, wearing a dark blue shirt, and at one point shown seated in a vehicle. His message, evidently dictated by captors, includes an emotional plea:
“We just want this to end. We want to return to our families. Please bring us back.”
Ohel’s family has chosen not to release any images from the video that feature him. Gilboa-Dalal, meanwhile, was previously seen in a February video issued during a ceasefire, when Hamas forced him and another hostage, Evyatar David, to witness the release of other captives.
In a statement following the publication, Gilboa-Dalal’s family said:
“Guy, Alon, and many others were taken to Gaza. Their lives are in great danger, and it is our duty to bring them home as soon as possible.”
Hostage Families Warned of Risks Ahead of New Gaza Operation
Families of Israelis held in Gaza expressed grave concern Friday after being told by military officials that an upcoming IDF operation in Gaza City could place their loved ones in severe danger. According to the Hostage Families Forum, officers acknowledged that the army does not have precise information on the hostages’ current locations.
“We are terrified. Our loved ones have endured 700 days underground in Hamas tunnels, and now this offensive is a direct and immediate threat to their lives,” the forum said in a statement. “No plan for their protection has been shared with us.”
The IDF confirmed it has been in touch with relatives, as it has before other large-scale maneuvers, and stressed it is committed to preventing harm to hostages. Still, a military official told Ynet that the risk cannot be eliminated: “The operation clearly endangers them. It’s impossible to know whether Hamas will continue guarding them, use them as human shields, or, in the worst case, kill some as leverage.”
The forum also issued a sharp warning over the current plan, known as “Operation Gideon’s Chariots, Part 2.” The group compared it to last year’s tragedy in Rafah, when Hamas executed six hostages just before Israeli troops reached the tunnel where they were held. “Without a concrete strategy for protecting them, this operation could become another disaster,” the forum said.
