Hamas continues psychological terror, releases new hostage video with 3 young Israeli women

Hamas released a new propaganda video on Friday featuring the three young Israeli female hostages Daniela Gilboa (19), Karina Ariev (19) and Doron Steinbrecher (31).

Gilboa and Ariev were both kidnapped while serving at the Israeli military base in Nahal Oz, close to the Gaza border, on Oct. 7. Steinbrecher was taken hostage from her home in the rural community of Kfar Aza. 

Hamas is believed to still hold some 132 Israeli and international hostages, likely in dispersed subterranean locations throughout the Gaza Strip. The hostages in the latest video mentioned being held in captivity for 107 days, indicating that the clip was filmed last Sunday.

Hamas has been slammed for cynically using hostage video clips as part of its psychological warfare against the Israeli hostages’ families. The terror group’s overall intent to encourage internal division within Israeli society, causing pressure on the Israeli government to stop its counter-terrorism operation in the Gaza Strip. 

Ariev's mother recalled speaking to her daughter by phone during the brutal Hamas invasion of southern Israel on Oct. 7. 

“She screamed and said she loves us very much,” the mother said. “She told us to continue our lives.”

Earlier in January, Ariev and Gilboa were in a short video released showing their abused state.

Every new propaganda video released by Hamas is accompanied by growing concerns about the safety and health of the remaining Israeli hostages.

Earlier in January, Hamas released a video featuring the hostages Noa Argamani, Yossi Sharabi and Itay Svirsky. Hamas claimed in the propaganda video that Israeli aerial strikes had caused the death of Sharabi and Svirsky. 

IDF Spokesman Brig.-Gen. Daniel Hagari condemned Hamas’ cynical use of civilian Israeli hostages and rejected claims that the hostages had been killed by Israeli Air Force strikes. 

“Itay wasn’t shot by our forces – this is a lie by Hamas. The building where they were held wasn’t a target, and it wasn’t attacked by our forces. We didn’t know their location in real-time, we do not attack in a place where know there may be hostages,” Hagari stated.

“In retrospect, we know that we attacked targets close to the location where they were held,” the senior IDF official added. 

A few days later, Kibbutz Be’eri, where Sharabi and Svirsky lived, publicly announced that the two had been murdered by Hamas during their captivity. 

“Their bodies are in the hands of Hamas, we demand their return with the rest of our abductees. Our hearts are with the families in their immense pain. May they rest in peace,” read the statement. 

There have been growing unverified reports of progress in the indirect Israel-Hamas hostage talks being facilitated by Qatar, Egypt and the United States.

However, an Israeli official recently dismissed any reports of a hostage deal or ceasefire as premature and incorrect. 

“Reports of an agreement in principle to a ceasefire are not correct. There are very large gaps and there is no advancement in talks,” the Israeli official said, adding that Hamas regularly increases its demands.

“It’s very complicated. Hamas is constantly hardening its position.”