ALBAWABA—On Saturday, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military arm of Hamas, published a video in which an Israeli prisoner, known only as prisoner number 22, made a heartfelt request for his release.
The guy, who spoke to the Israeli authorities directly, said that the video was taken freely and that his suffering is not due to psychological warfare but rather to being separated from his wife and kid.
"I requested that this video be made," the prisoner said. "Psychological warfare is not what this is. Getting up every day without seeing my wife and kids is the true source of my suffering. I can't continue in this manner.
He also made a plea to the General Federation of Labor in Israel, pointing out that he had worked for them for 15 years and asking why he had been overlooked. He claimed that no one could compel us to leave, saying, "I'm suffocating, I have no food, and I'm afraid I'll die here." We would be killed by it.
Al-Qassam gives a clear message at the conclusion of the video: "They will only be released through a deal." The words "Time is running out" are shown in Hebrew, Arabic, and English.
The video, which appeared on Al Jazeera, was released as relatives of Israeli prisoners are increasing pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's administration to negotiate a fresh agreement for their release. Families in Tel Aviv are planning to assemble outside the Defense Ministry on Saturday night as part of continuous protests.
Hamas, meantime, has rebuffed demands from the United States and Israel for more captive releases, claiming that Israel has broken the truce deal by restarting offensive operations in Gaza. The gang maintains that the detainees will only be released via a negotiated prisoner swap agreement.
Since Israel launched its onslaught earlier this month, Hamas has released a number of movies, the most recent of which aims to put further internal pressure on Israeli leadership in the face of mounting public annoyance.
