It has been 35 days since Hamas forces stormed into southern Israel, resulting in the deaths of 1,400 Jews and the abduction of an additional 240 people. The hostages include babies, children, women, men, soldiers, and seniors.
International aid groups such as the Red Cross have not been allowed to inspect the condition of these Israeli captives taken over a month ago.
Two notable cases are brothers Yagel Yaakov (12 years old) and Or Yaakov (16 years old), whose abduction was reported by The Times of Israel along with Hamas’s subsequent contact with their family.
Yagil Yaakov, 12, and Or Yaakov, 16, were sleeping, alone in their Kibbutz Nir Oz house when Hamas terrorists attacked on the morning of October 7.
The two brothers called their mother, Renana Gome, whispering from the sealed room where they were hiding.
They were scared to death, said their mother, from the account she shares in an animated short created by “Waltz with Bashir” animator Yoni Goodman, about their harrowing experience on that Black Shabbat.
Or, the older brother, tried to hold the door shut, but the terrorists overcame him.
The last thing she heard was her younger son, Yagil, saying, “Don’t take me, I’m too young.”
Gome was then called by her sons’ abductors, who told her they had her sons.
On Thursday, Hamas released a video of 12-year-old Yagel, who appears to be tired with bags around his eyes. The Islamist militants have been holding him captive for 34 days.
Yeshiva World reported:
The Palestinian Islamic Jihad has offered to release two hostages on “humanitarian grounds.” In a video released Thursday, the organization’s spokesman, Abu Hamza, declared the terrorist group’s intention to free an elderly woman and a young boy.
The hostages have been identified as Yagil Yaakov, 13, and Chana Katzir, 77, based on the video footage released by the PIJ. It is the first time that this terror group has released a video of hostages abducted by its terrorist members.
The video includes statements from the hostages dictated to them by their barbaric captors, in which they are forced to parrot terrorist talking points blaming Israel for the murderous terror attack on Simchas Torah that resulted in the deaths of 1,400 of their family, friends and neighbors.
Chana’s family has been very worried about her as she uses a walker, takes many medications, and requires a lot of medical care. Her husband, Rami, was murdered by the terrorists, and her son, Elad, who also lives on the kibbutz and was his parents’ main caretaker, was also abducted.
Yagel Yaakov says in the video: “Hi. I’m Yagil Yaakov, I’m 13 years old. I miss my family and friends like crazy and I love you. I want to say thank you very much to those who support us in Tel Aviv, to do as much as you can so I can return and all the hostages can return. I want to say to Netanyahu: ‘It’s simply unbelievable, all these explosions are insane – you’re killing children and even prisoners (i.e hostages). You’re not restoring the water and the electricity and medication – and we, as the prisoners, need these things. I want to say thank you very much to all those who support us in Tel Aviv and I hope that I can return as soon as possible because the longer I’m here the more danger I’m in. Thank you very much to the Islamic Jihad who is taking care of me here in Gaza so that I don’t die and I receive food and water and medication as needed. Netanyahu – I want to tell you that if something happens to me, it’s on your conscience, and if something happens to one of the prisoners [hostages], it’s on your conscience – because the Islamic Jihad is truly working hard to take care of all of us.”
Hamas has attributed the deaths of hostages to the Israeli government, raising serious questions about their culpability.
The international community is left wondering if these individuals were tortured and murdered as a result of Hamas’ actions or if they were killed in Israel and had their bodies subsequently relocated to Gaza.
Such actions are highly condemnable and should be met with clear disapproval from all nations.
4 Responses
Image of Yagel Yaacov before 10-7-23 & after 35 days in barbaric, sadistic animals hamas’s captivity tell all how horrible those evil hamas, wipe them all out
This is disgusting. And what happened to OR the boys brother? This is so sad.
All of the actions by Hamas are heathen and contemptible; any in the US who support the actions of Hamas, should LOSE THEIR US CITIZENSHIP and be deported, or exiled to Palestine FOR LIFE! If these traitorous supporters of evil think so highly of them, the LET THEM LIVE (or die) UNDER THE THUMB OF HAMAS!
Too bad it would shake everyone up to jam a stick of dynamite up the Ass of every Hamass taking part in this rotten terrorist attack. If the democrats continue to allow these barbarians to live it may be the precursor of world war. God help us. Hope the boys survive.