Families of Israeli hostages hope video reminds people of need for deal

The brother of Israeli hostage Naama Levy says the family’s decision to release harrowing new video of the moment his sister and other female hostages were kidnapped is to remind the world and world leaders that they need to push for a deal to secure their Released.

Naama, 19, and six other young women were taken away by Hamas gunmen at the Nahar Oz military base on October 7, where they were working as observers monitoring a monitor at the nearby Gaza fence.

In a video seen around the world as Hamas was being taken to Gaza, Naama had blood on his crotch, his hands tied and his ankles slashed.

Now, the families of Naama and four other women have decided to release more footage from body cameras worn by their Hamas kidnappers. It shows the moment they killed other people at the base and captured and tied up the teenagers.

Warning: This article contains details that some readers may find disturbing.

In the three-minute video, the gunman can be seen screaming at the women, some of whom were still wearing pajamas and most of whom had bloodied faces. They were tied to a wall and stuffed into a jeep with visible injuries on their bodies.

The gunmen told them in Arabic: “You dogs, we will step on you… We will shoot you all.”

Someone said in English: “You are beautiful.”

“I have friends in Palestine,” Naama, whose face was covered with blood, told them in English. She had previously been involved in Israeli-Palestinian peace initiatives. Her family calls her a “peace seeker.”

Naama’s brother Amit is visiting London to campaign for his sister’s release.

He said indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas to secure a ceasefire in Gaza and a hostage release agreement were “going very badly.”

“We hope this footage will encourage the parties to come back to the negotiating table and understand that this is an intolerable humanitarian problem that needs to be solved,” he told the BBC. “This may be the last chance to save them.”

Amit said that when he saw the video released on Thursday, it was “very painful… to see my sister looking like that… like that.”

“I never thought I would see her so scared and hurt,” he added.

But he also said he gained strength from the film.

“We felt like the way she handled the situation was like a true superhero, like a hero fighting for her life.”

One of the seven female observers kidnapped in Nahar Oz, Noa Marciano, was killed in Gaza. Israeli military said In November, troops discovered her body in a building near al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City.

The other was Ori Megidish. Rescued by Israeli forces during operations in Gaza in late October.

Teenagers Liri Albag, 18, Karina Ariev, 19, Daniela Gilboa, 19, and Agam Berger, 19, remain in custody with Naama. They have been held hostage for 229 days.

After seeing video of Naama being kidnapped with blood on her pants and hearing testimonies from other hostages, her family became terrified of the risk of sexual assault.

“This has been very, very difficult for us. This fear has not left me or anyone in the family since October 7,” Amit said.

“We realize…that Naama and other girls and men have a chance, maybe even a good chance, of being molested. It is an indescribably painful fear. We must continue to fight for her to escape this hell.

Naama’s mother Ayelet said in a statement: “We only see a small part of the horrific things happening around the shelter in the film.

“She was scared and hurt, with fear in her eyes, and she was begging for her life with all her strength.

“The priority is to bring her home and bring them both home now.”

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum said: “This disturbing footage is the reality of 229 days spent by Agam, Daniela, Leary, Naama, Karina and 123 other hostages.

“This video is powerful proof of the country’s failure to bring the hostages home. The Israeli government cannot waste any more time and must return to the negotiating table today.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he was “shocked” by the footage and pledged to do whatever it takes to bring the hostages home.

He wrote on