Hamas releases video of two Israeli hostages held in Gaza

Hamas' armed wing, on Monday (Mar 24), released a video of Israeli hostages, who have been held by the Palestinian militant group since it's unprecedented attack on Israel in October 2023.

The three-minute long, showcased two men seated on the floor, conversing in Hebrew as they addressed a hostage who had already been released. In the footage, whose exact recording date is unclear, the men urge the ex-hostage to share his experiences during captivity, hoping that by doing so, it will expedite their own release.

The two men were identified as Elkana Bohbot and Yosef Haim Ohana, according to news agency AFP.

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They both were abducted from the Nova music festival.

In the video, the two men talk about the dangers they have faced since Israel renewed airstrikes on Gaza.

'Can see he is in bad shape,' says Elkana Bohbot family

Hostage Elkana Bohbot's family released a statement saying that they can see “in the video that he is in bad shape, that he has lost a lot of weight from continued starvation, that he is suffering from problems with his skin and his breathing.”

The family further highlighted that Bohbot suffers from asthma and “hasn’t seen the light of day for almost a year and a half!”

They said that the footage was “further proof that Elkana has to return home to his family, to his wife Rivka and his son Re’em David. Elkana is screaming for help and screaming that we don’t forget him in the tunnels of hell.”

They then urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump to “think that this is your son, your father or your grandson, who is waiting to see the light of day.”

IDF tells Gazans to evacuate part of southern city of Rafah

Israeli army, on Sunday (Mar 23), called for the residents of the Gaza Strip in the Tel Sultan area in Rafah to immediately evacuate as forces launched an offensive against militants in the area.

Taking to X, military spokesman Avichay Adraee said that the army "launched an offensive to strike the terrorist organisations" in Rafah's Tal al-Sultan district.

(With inputs from agencies)