Hamas is beginning to release videos of hostages it kidnapped from Israel as part of a brutal attack on the country last week that captured 199 people and killed more than 1,300.
Women and children, including infants and young children, are believed to be among those taken hostage by Hamas in its Oct. 7 attack in the Gaza Strip.
A new video released Monday shows a young woman lying in a bed receiving medical treatment. Her arm is bandaged after what appears to be recent surgery to stabilize a possibly broken bone.
In another shot, she sits upright in front of the camera and explains her name, age and that she was taken to Gaza from the southern Israeli city of Sderot after the Supernova music festival, where Hamas killed more than 200 people.
“Hello, I’m Mia Shem, 21 years old and I’m from Shoham. “I’m currently in Gaza,” she said calmly.
“I returned from the Sderot area early Saturday morning, I was at a party. I was seriously injured in my hand. They took me to Gaza. They operated on my hand for three hours here in the hospital.”
“They are taking care of me,” she continued, “they are treating me, giving me medicine, everything is fine.” I just ask that they return me home, to my family, to my parents, as soon as possible , to my siblings. Please get us out of here as quickly as possible. Please.”
The New York Times reported that it confirmed the woman’s identity with her friend, who requested anonymity, and said the family had also seen the clip.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed that Shem was kidnapped by Hamas and that they are in contact with her family.
The IDF said that in the videos released by Hamas they are “trying to portray themselves as human.” However, they are a horrific terrorist organization responsible for the murder and kidnapping of babies, children, men, women and the elderly. We are currently using all intelligence and operational measures to return all hostages – including Mia.”
Some American families also believe their loved ones are being held hostage in Gaza.
President Biden is traveling to Israel and Amman, Jordan, on Wednesday, the White House said, where securing the release of hostages is part of the agenda.
Kirby said Biden would speak with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, Jordan’s King Abdullah and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.
“Of course he will continue to talk to them about the hostage crisis to try to gather any additional information that there may be, and of course he will continue to coordinate our efforts to return Americans home and to their families where they belong. “ .”
The Biden administration has not confirmed a specific number of American hostages, but has sent a special envoy to Israel for hostage negotiations. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has also pushed for their release in meetings with regional leaders, including those communicating with Hamas.
Abu Obaida, spokesman for Hamas’s military wing, made detailed remarks about the hostages on Monday, saying that Hamas “will release people of various nationalities in temporary detention if conditions on the ground allow it.”
Obaida said the hostages were from different countries. “These individuals are considered our valued guests and our primary goal is to ensure their safety,” he said.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry reportedly said on Monday that Hamas was willing to release hostages if Israel stopped airstrikes on Gaza, but Hamas itself had made no such offer.
Iran is a military and financial supporter of Hamas, a U.S.-designated terrorist group.
Hamas said it initially took between 200 and 250 hostages, but some of them were killed during Israel’s military response. An Israel Defense Forces spokesman has rejected claims that hostages held by Hamas had been killed.
Hamas has long viewed hostage takers from Israel as valuable assets used in negotiations to obtain concessions from the Israeli government. In 2011, Israel released more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners to secure the release of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit after five years of captivity.
The release of Palestinian prisoners as hostages is a deeply contentious issue in Israeli society, and at least two Israelis and the bodies of two Israeli soldiers have been held captive by Hamas since 2014.
The Israeli military said Monday it had contacted the 199 families whose relatives are being held hostage.
IDF spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said the military had some information about the whereabouts of the hostages held in Gaza, the Times of Israel reported.
“We are making great efforts to find out where the hostages are in Gaza and we have such information,” Hagari said in response to a question at a news conference.
“We will not carry out any attack that would endanger our people,” he added.
Israel has said its airstrikes in Gaza target Hamas’ military infrastructure and its leaders, but the Palestinian Health Ministry in the Gaza Strip, which is under Hamas, said more than 2,600 Palestinians were killed and thousands more injured.
A tightened Israeli and Egyptian blockade of the Gaza Strip in response to the Hamas attack has led to a humanitarian disaster, with Palestinian health authorities saying the health system has collapsed.
The Biden administration has said it stands behind Israel’s right to defend itself and is increasing pressure to allow the transfer of humanitarian aid and the release of hostages.
Blinken, in particular, visited Qatar and raised the issue of releasing the hostages. The country maintains ties to Hamas through the terrorist group’s political office in Doha.
Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said Qatar was keeping communication open with Hamas.
“As long as we keep the lines of communication open now and focus on putting an end to this conflict… that is our main focus,” he said.
“In fact, our primary focus for us in the state of Qatar, I believe the United States shares this goal with us, is how do we put an end to this conflict, how do we de-escalate it, how do we create a humanitarian corridor, etc.?” “We can get the hostages back safely.”
Sharon Udasin contributed to this report.
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