Islamic Jihad releases video of two Israeli hostages ahead of expected new hostage deal

Palestinian Islamic Jihad, an Iranian-funded Gaza-based terror group and Hamas ally, released a propaganda video of Israeli hostages Elad Katzir and Gadi Mozes on Tuesday. It was the first time the two Israeli men were seen alive since they were kidnapped by terrorists from Kibbutz Nir Oz in southern Israel during the Oct. 7 terror attack.

The video released by Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) terrorists showed the two Israeli nationals urging the Israeli government to secure their release from captivity in Gaza. The timing of the video release may be linked to recent reports about a new potential hostage deal between the Jewish state and Hamas, the larger ally of PIJ.

Appearing to be under pressure, Mozes (79) and Katzir (47) warned Israeli authorities that they could be killed any day due to the ongoing Israeli military strikes in the densely populated Gaza Strip where terror groups deliberately use civilians as human shields by operating in underground tunnels.

“It’s obvious to us that they aren’t his words in video and that they told him what to say,” said Yair Mozes, the Gadi's son. While the Mozes’ family was happy to see that their loved one alive, Yair noted that his father “looks completely different.”

“Dad is really skinny, you can see he is exhausted,” a concerned Yair Mozes told the Israeli news site Ynet. “Normally he smiles a lot and is alert, and here you see bags under his eyes. He’s not in a good physical situation, there’s no doubt,” the son added. His mother Efrat was murdered by Hamas terrorists on Oct. 7.

Elad Katzir, the other hostage who appeared in the video, was abducted by terrorists with his mother Hannah on Oct. 7. Hannah has since been released from captivity, during the previous hostage deal in late November. His father Rami was murdered by terror forces during the invasion.

The PIJ propaganda video comes mere days after Hamas released its own propaganda video of three elderly Israeli men Chaim Peri, Amiram Cooper and Yoram Metzger. All three were kidnapped from their homes in Kibbutz Nir Oz on Oct. 7.

IDF Spokesman Brig.-Gen. Daniel Hagari was quick to blast the hostage video as “atrocious terror.”

“It shows the cruelty of Hamas against elderly civilians, innocents, who require medical attention,” Hagari stated during a media conference. “The world must work to allow medical aid and to verify their condition,” the senior IDF official added.

The alleged purpose of the recent propaganda videos of hostages from the Hamas and PIJ terror groups is to pressure the Israeli government to agree to another ceasefire in exchange for a hostage deal.

In late November, Hamas released more than 100 Israeli and foreign citizens, mostly women, children and elderly, in exchange for Palestinian security prisoners being held in Israeli jails. However, most of the Israeli male hostages remain in captivity in the Gaza Strip.

Hamas and PIJ have not permitted the International Red Cross to visit the hostages, in flagrant violation of international law.

While Hamas is believed to be holding the majority of the remaining Israeli and international hostages, the recent PIJ video shows the complexity of the situation, where some believe an unknown number of Israeli hostages are being held by rival terror groups or criminal gangs in Gaza.

The previous hostage deal in November was exclusively between Hamas and the Israeli government.

It is unclear whether PIJ and other Gazan terror factions would be included in a potential future hostage agreement. While the Jewish state formally holds the Hamas regime responsible for the deaths of any hostages inside the Gaza Strip, it is unclear whether Hamas officials would be able to convince PIJ terrorists to release hostages under certain circumstances.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the families of some hostages on Tuesday that securing their loved ones' release was a top priority for the State of Israel.

“Retrieving them is a top goal,” the premier stated. “I’ve just sent the head of Mossad to Europe twice to advance a process for the release of our abductees. I will spare no effort on the matter,” he vowed.