“I am Hersh Goldberg-Paulin”: Hamas releases video of hostage kidnapped October 7 in Israel and held in Gaza Strip

The Palestinian Hamas movement posted on its Telegram channel on Wednesday an undated video of one of the Israeli hostages it kidnapped during the October 7 attack and brought to the Gaza Strip.

In front of the camera, the 24-year-old calls himself Hersh Goldberg-Paulin, an Israeli-American. Giving his date of birth as well as the names of his parents, he indicates that he was “arrested” during the Nova music festival in Reims. Israeli media reported his identity, but his family did not immediately confirm it.

“70 detainees killed”

“Binyamin Netanyahu and his government should be ashamed,” he repeats in the video, accusing them of “abandoning them for 200 days.” This suggests that the video seen by Le Parisien was recently filmed. The hostage is also referring to the Jewish holiday of Passover, which began Monday evening and will last a week.

Hersh Goldberg-Paulin also blames Israeli warplanes for killing “70 detainees” in the bombings. “Every offer that was made to you was rejected,” condemns Hersh Goldberg-Paulin, of whom we do not know whether he is speaking under duress.

In the video, the young man has a shaved head and is wearing a red and blue polo shirt. He sits alone in the frame facing the camera against a gray background. His left arm is amputated at the elbow. When he was kidnapped on October 7, his limb was blown off by a grenade thrown by Hamas. Before the terrorists took him away, Hersh Goldberg-Paulin applied a tourniquet to the wound.

“Do what is expected of you and bring us home immediately,” says Hersh Goldberg-Paulin. Has all this become too much for you? “The hostage testifies that he was locked in “hellish” basements, where there was no water, sunlight, food or medical care.

“I love you and miss you”

Finally, the young man sends a message to his family, who continue to campaign for the return of the Israeli hostages. His mother, Rachel Goldberg, was named one of The Times’ 100 most influential people of the year. She met with dozens of world leaders, including Joe Biden and Pope Francis, and gave several speeches at the United Nations demanding the release of abductees.

“I love you and miss you,” he says. I want you to stay strong for me and not stop until we go home in peace.” And he added: “I expect and hope to see you very soon. »

Other hostage videos have already been released by Palestinian armed groups since the start of the war. According to an AFP report based on Israeli official data, this unprecedented attack on Israeli territory resulted in the deaths of 1,170 people. Another 250 people were kidnapped. AFP tallies 129 people remain hostages, 34 of whom are believed to be dead, according to Israeli officials.