After nearly 15 months of captivity, Israeli soldier Liri Albag appeared in a Hamas propaganda video on Saturday that her distraught parents say shows their once-vibrant daughter in severe psychological distress.
“This is not the Liri we know, this is the shadow of Liri,” her parents said in an emotional video released late last night. “While it is a sign of life from her, this is not the video that we were looking for. The always-strong Liri looks broken and shattered. There is no other way than to stop this hell to release Liri, and the other hostages immediately.”
“Liri, we’re fighting for you, we’re not giving up on you. You’re coming home alive… Mom and Dad are promising you, and we keep our promises. It will happen soon, with God’s help… Believe in it. We’re not giving up, don’t you give up. Keep fighting and surviving.”
Liri was serving as a lookout at the Nahal Oz military base when Hamas terrorists stormed the facility on October 7 2023. Of her fellow lookouts, fifteen were murdered and seven were taken captive. Her family has requested the media to keep the video’s contents private, but some local Hebrew media reports that the 19-year-old speaks for three-and-a-half minutes and states that she has been in captivity for over 450 days.
Prime Minister Netanyahu’s office has confirmed that Netanyahu had spoken with Liri’s parents and assured them that “Israel continues to work tirelessly for the return of Liri and all hostages, and that the efforts are underway – including at this very moment.”
Israeli President Isaac Herzog also spoke to Liri’s parents and, according to his office, “reiterated that the Israeli representatives currently conducting negotiations must persist and remain at the negotiating table until all 100 hostages are returned home.”
Meanwhile, as protesters flooded the streets of Tel Aviv on Saturday night demanding action on hostage negotiations, former captive Almog Meir Jan stood before the crowd and recalled his own haunting experience being filmed in Hamas captivity.
“It was a very frightening and stressful situation,” he said. “In one moment, everything floods back as you speak and think about the nightmare you’re going through. And you film the video hoping that this time it will do the job, create the necessary noise so they’ll say that this time it’s enough, let’s end this madness, that this time it really needs to happen.”
Although Hamas announced Friday that indirect negotiations had resumed in Doha, both Israeli and Egyptian officials indicated to CNN that progress remains limited, despite mediation efforts from Qatar and Egypt. A major roadblock to the deal is Hamas’s refusal to disclose which hostages they would set free.
Hamas still holds 100 hostages in Gaza, with several confirmed dead. Incoming US President Donald Trump has warned there will be “hell to pay” if they are not freed by the time he takes office on January 20.
Editors Note: The Albag family has granted the media permission to use the one image (seen above) from Hamas’ propaganda video of their daughter.
