Hamas released a propaganda video on Wednesday featuring Hersh Goldberg-Polin, a 23-year-old dual U.S.-Israeli citizen, marking the first proof of life since his abduction during the October 7 massacre at the Nova rave, where he also lost his arm.
"Mom, Dad, Libi and Orli, I love you very much and miss you terribly. I think about you every day I am here. I know you are doing everything you can to get me home as soon as possible. I need you to stay strong for me and keep fighting until I and all the other captives return home safely. I hope and expect to be with you soon, once this madness is over. I may no longer have peace, but I hope that at least I have brought you some joy this holiday," Goldberg-Polin says in the video.
In other parts of the clip, Goldberg-Polin criticizes the government and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying, "You should be ashamed that we have been here for almost 200 days and all of the IDF's rescue attempts have failed."
The timing of the video's recording is unclear, but it visibly confirms that his left arm has been severed
Ynet has chosen not to broadcast the statements made by Goldberg-Polin in the video, as they are likely scripted by his captors for psychological warfare and propaganda purposes.