Gladness Gideon
Tensions surged once again in the Gaza Strip on Saturday following the release of a video by Hamas’s military wing, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, showing two Israeli hostages alive. The footage emerged amid intensified Israeli military operations in the Shujaiya area of Gaza City.
The video, which runs for just over two minutes, features two visibly distressed men—identified as Maxim Herkin and Bar Kuperstein—seated next to each other. Herkin, whose face and hand were bandaged, appeared to speak under apparent duress. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum confirmed Herkin’s identity, while Israeli media identified Kuperstein as a 21-year-old soldier from Holon.
Both men were captured during the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led assault on southern Israel, which began with a deadly attack on the Nova music festival. That attack triggered the ongoing war that has since devastated the Gaza Strip and caused mass casualties.
At the time of his abduction, Herkin, 35, was attending the festival and last contacted his mother, assuring her he was safe. A dual citizen of Israel and Russia, Herkin had moved to Israel from Ukraine. Kuperstein, though off duty, was reportedly helping others escape the festival grounds when he was taken.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have not yet verified the authenticity or date of the video, and news agencies such as AFP have stated they could not independently confirm when it was recorded. Herkin’s family has urged media outlets not to share the video.
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The video release comes amid growing concerns for the fate of remaining hostages. According to Israeli authorities, 58 individuals are still believed to be held captive in Gaza, with 34 presumed dead. A six-week ceasefire that ended on March 18 saw 33 hostages freed—eight of them posthumously.
Hamas claimed in a statement that the Israeli military’s latest actions put the hostages’ lives at greater risk. On the same day, Gaza’s civil defence agency reported that Israeli airstrikes had killed at least 29 people in various parts of the territory.
Since the October 7 attack, more than 1,200 Israelis—mainly civilians—have been killed, according to Israeli officials. In response, Israel’s counteroffensive in Gaza has led to over 50,000 deaths, predominantly civilians, based on figures from the Hamas-run health ministry that are widely cited by UN agencies.
As international pressure mounts for renewed ceasefire negotiations and humanitarian relief, families on both sides continue to grapple with the devastating impact of war and the uncertain fate of their loved ones.