Palestinian Terror Group Releases New Video of Israeli Hostage

tel aviv - The Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) has released a new video of one of the Israeli hostages in Gaza, urging the Israeli government to make a deal.

The Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), a terrorist group alongside Hamas, has published a video on Wednesday of one of the Israeli hostages in Gaza. Alexander Troufanov, who also has Russian roots, expressed concerns about the lack of food and basic necessities for him and other prisoners in the video, likely made under pressure from the captors. He called on Israelis to put more pressure on the government to reach a deal. The authenticity of the statements made by Troufanov, who has appeared in two previous videos, is questionable. His family has approved the video's publication, asking for privacy.

Troufanov mentioned in the video his fear of the IDF and the possibility of the building he is held in being bombed. His mother expressed relief at seeing her son alive but raised concerns about his statements, urging immediate action for his release and that of the other hostages. Troufanov, who claims to be 28 years old but should be 29, is part of a group of 101 hostages whose families are appealing for their return.

The Families Forum in Tel Aviv described the video as 'horrific,' highlighting the deteriorating conditions faced by the hostages, including mistreatment, hunger, and darkness. They emphasized the urgency of securing the release of all hostages. The PIJ had previously released two videos of Troufanov, who was kidnapped on October 7 along with his family members.

Israel announced the opening of a new border crossing for aid delivery to Gaza following international criticism of the worsening situation for Palestinians. Human rights and aid organizations are particularly concerned about the fighting in the northern Gaza Strip, where food and medicine shortages are reported. The region, home to about two million Palestinians, has witnessed casualties in the conflict with Hamas since October 7 last year. Israel accuses Hamas of using civilians as human shields and using hospitals and UN buildings as cover.