The father of an Israeli-American hostage who appeared in a propaganda video published by Hamas has said that the video of his son has given him and his wife even more motivation to fight for his release.
Hersh Goldberg-Polin, 23, one of the hostages abducted from the Nova music festival in southern Israel during the Hamas attack on October 7. He was seriously wounded during his capture and the video shows him missing a hand. His parents said in a statement they were “relieved to see him alive” but worried for his wellbeing.
“It’s not clear who wrote what he said,” Jon, father of Hersh told the Kan public broadcaster, acknowledging the high likelihood that Hersh was reading from a script written by his captors. “The part I’m focusing on is the last part, when even if he read it off a page, he spoke directly to me and Rachel, to our daughters Libby and Orly.”
Hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin’s parents:“Seeing the video of Hersh today is overwhelming. We are relieved to see him alive but we are also concerned about his health and wellbeing as well as that of all the other hostages and all of those suffering in this region.
We are here… pic.twitter.com/MQwZITbGSO
— Eylon Levy (@EylonALevy) April 24, 2024
Three-minute-long video
In the nearly three-minute-long video released on Wednesday, Hersh addressed his family, saying he knows “you are doing everything for me to return home as soon as possible,” and asked them to stay strong for him and to keep fighting.
“We’ve been working to bring Hersh home for 200 days, and after yesterday, we feel even more strongly that we can’t stop now, we have to continue,” Polin told a local Israeli outfit, according to The Times Of Israel. “Until yesterday, we didn’t know he was alive,” he continues. “We hoped he was, but we didn’t know.”
Hamas releases video of Israeli-American hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin, who was abducted by Hamas during the war#Hamas #HostageDeal pic.twitter.com/zGXPGfntvt— News18 (@CNNnews18) April 25, 2024
‘We cried, my wife and I’
The video is the first sign of life that the Goldberg-Polin family has received of Hersh since October 7, when he was seen being pushed onto a pickup truck, his left arm blown off from the elbow down and wrapped in a bloody tourniquet.
“We cried, my wife and I sat and watched the video and cried,” Polin said, adding that he has watched the new video upwards of 20 times. “There were so many emotions, but at the core, for the first time in 200 days, we saw him and heard him.” “I’ve been watching and watching it to draw strength from it, and also to understand what the purpose of it was – why did they release it yesterday specifically? I have no answers, but a lot of questions, and I’ll keep watching it.”
‘Time is running out’
As the news about Goldberg-Polin emerged, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum group appealed for the return of the hostages. “Hersh’s cry is the collective cry of all the hostages — their time is rapidly running out,” it said in a statement. “With each passing day, the fear of losing more innocent lives grows stronger.”
Late on Wednesday dozens of demonstrators rallied outside Netanyahu’s official residence in Jerusalem, holding signs that read: “Bring them home now.” Israel estimates 129 of the roughly 250 people abducted during the Hamas attack on October 7 remain in Gaza, including 34 who the military says are dead. The Hamas attack resulted in the deaths of 1,170 people.
(With agency inputs)
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