Video of Israeli-German hostage held in Gaza released by Hamas armed wing

A video released on Thursday showed a man identified as Rom Braslavski, who is believed to be held hostage, speaking in Hebrew and appealing to the Israeli government for help with his release.

In the six-minute clip, he is also seen watching Arabic news reports about the deepening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, particularly the growing food shortages.

According to AFP and multiple Israeli media outlets, the individual is Braslavski, a Jerusalem resident with dual citizenship. He had reportedly been working as a security guard at the Nova music festival, one of the locations targeted during the October attacks.

At the beginning of the video, Hamas’s military wing reiterates a previous claim that it has lost contact with Braslavski, hinting that the footage might have been recorded earlier than its release date.

A similar video had surfaced on April 16. Eyewitness accounts suggest that before his abduction, Braslavski played a role in assisting others to escape the attack at the festival, Indian Express reported.

The Israeli military has reported that 251 individuals were taken hostage during the October 2023 incursion into southern Israel. Out of those, 49 are still believed to be in Gaza, with 27 presumed dead.

Following the attack, Israel launched an extensive military operation in Gaza. A temporary ceasefire between January 19 and March 17 earlier this year allowed for the release of 33 hostages — eight of whom had already died — in exchange for the release of approximately 1,800 Palestinian detainees.