On Tuesday evening, Einav Zangauker, the mother of hostage Matan Zangauker, 24, revealed footage of her son taken inside the Gaza Strip. In the video, he is seen being transported on a motorcycle between two terrorists – one of whom appears to be carrying a rifle – on the outskirts of Khan Younis. In the background, sounds of cheering from Gazans can be heard, with one of the terrorists on the motorcycle raising his hand to them. The video, which lasts a few seconds, cuts off abruptly, and it is not entirely clear if the terrorist’s gesture was a victory sign amid the cheering.
Footage of Matan in Gaza
It is believed that the footage is from the initial days following the abduction on October 7, likely showing Matan being moved to the location where he was held. The footage reached his mother Einav over the past weekend, and she stated that it was released for publication "after a struggle and an all-night sit-in at the office of Brigadier General (res.) Gal Hirsch, the coordinator of Hostages and Missing Persons, demanding the release of the video to remind the people of Israel and the prime minister and decision-makers that there are hostages who were taken alive and can still be saved from Hamas."
Shortly after the new footage was published, a mass march took place in Tel Aviv Tuesday evening, calling for the release of the hostages. The march featured chants of "We will not abandon them" and "Those who abandoned them must bring them back." During the march, Einav Zangauker also spoke, referring to the footage of her son: "Matan was abducted alive – he must return home alive. Bring them home in a deal. Netanyahu, the excuses are over. When you speak in Congress, declare: 'We are going for a hostages' deal.' We will not let you discourage us. You will not control our anger. The prime minister will hear us all the way to Congress."
In addition to the video, Einav recently received Matan's cellphone, which was found in Gaza by the IDF. She has now revealed, for the first time, the last messages between her, Matan, and other family members. Matan was abducted from his home in Nir Oz along with his partner Ilana Gritzewsky, who was released in the first deal with Hamas in November.
Here is the WhatsApp conversation between Matan and his family members:
With his mother Einav Zangauker:
6:32 AM
Matan: "Awake?"
8:32 AM
Matan: "Ilana and I are okay."
9:12 AM
Matan: "Is the IDF attacking? Are there IDF forces in the kibbutzim?"
9:12 AM
Einav: "There aren't enough forces. Don’t leave the safe room, okay?"
9:32 AM
Matan: "Okay."
9:32 AM
Matan: "Is there anything new? Are they attacking?"
9:41 AM
Matan: "Mom, there are still gunshots here."
9:41 AM
Matan: "What about the terrorists in the kibbutzim?"
9:41 AM
Einav: "There are still terrorists. Don't speak out loud."
9:44 AM
Einav: "Be quiet, turn off the light."
9:44 AM
Matan: "I love you all. There is someone here."
9:44 AM
Einav: "Hold the door!!! Everything will be okay baby."
9:44 AM
Einav: "Matan???"
9:44 AM
Matan: "Wait. There are people here. I am holding the door. I can't write."
9:44 AM
Einav: "Hold tight. We love you too."
9:46 AM
Matan: "There are Arabs here. They are breaking into houses. I love you."
9:46 AM
Einav: "Don't make noise."
9:46 AM
Matan: "Don't cry."
9:52 AM
Einav: "Are the people you hear maybe soldiers?"
9:52 AM
Matan: "They are speaking Arabic. They are right next to my door."
9:55 AM
Matan: "There are motorcycles around, shooting."
10:00 AM
Matan: "When are forces being sent?"
10:00 AM
Einav: "There is an exchange of fire in the kibbutz."
10:00 AM
Matan: "Bullshit. There aren’t. They have taken over half the kibbutz. Call someone. Bring forces. Find out what’s happening."
10:02 AM
Einav: "We called. They are on their way."
10:02 AM
Matan: "Did you call?"
10:02 AM
Einav: "I called 100, they said there are also soldiers."
10:02 AM
Matan: "There aren’t any."
10:04 AM
Matan: "When though. They are right here."
10:06 AM
Matan: "What do the news reports say?"
10:08 AM
Matan: "They are trying to get in."
10:08 AM
Einav: "The forces are already in the kibbutz. Matan???? Matan?? Are you okay?"
10:08 AM
No response.
With his uncle Eliran:
9:49 AM
Matan: "Eliran, I love you. Help Mom with Shani and Tato, that’s all I ask."
9:49 AM
Eliran tried to call him.
9:49 AM
Matan: "There are terrorists here. Gunshots. I can't hear."
9:50 AM
Eliran: "Arm yourself with a knife."
9:50 AM
Matan: "I don’t have one. I’m in the safe room."
9:59 AM
Matan: "I just ask that if something happens, God forbid – help Mom with Shani and Tato."
10:04 AM
Eliran: "Respond, Matan."
10:04 AM
Matan: "I am holding the door."
10:04 AM
Matan: "There are gunshots outside."
10:04 AM
No response.
Einav Zangauker cries out for action
On Tuesday evening, Einav stated: "Netanyahu, hostages are dying in captivity! There is a deal on the table, it is inconceivable that a mother of a hostage has to beg you to agree to a deal you have already approved! For once, put the public and national interest above your political and personal interest. Stop sabotaging! Look at my Matan, who has been held for nine months by human beasts. You could have saved him and everyone else long ago. Look into the eyes of the wounded observers and the other hostages you abandoned. Their time is up! The people want the hostages home, and there is a majority in the government and the Knesset for the deal on the table."
"Netanyahu, this is the moment to declare alongside President Biden that you accept the deal. My nightmare and that of all the people of Israel must end, I need to hug Matan already! How much longer can we wait? We must bring everyone back now!" Einav added.
Einav published the footage and messages against the backdrop of families' hopes for a potential breakthrough, with the Israeli delegation heading to Doha for further negotiations on Thursday. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is currently in the U.S., where he will speak to Congress on Wednesday. On Monday, he met with relatives of hostages who met with him at a hotel in Washington, telling them that Israel is facing a "very difficult decision."
"We are determined to bring everyone back. We are exerting significant pressure and seeing some change that will grow. This is the war's goal. The desire to bring your loved ones home is the desire of every person. We will not relent, and we will not give up. Some doubt us. I do not doubt, not even for a moment. The pressure creates the possibility to bring everyone back," Netanyahu said.
The Israeli delegation will depart for Doha on Thursday
"We are facing a very difficult decision," Netanyahu added. "Unfortunately, I cannot detail all the information for you. But I am aiming for a much higher number. You are told all kinds of stories. But it is still moving. Until we exerted the powerful pressure – we got nothing," he said, also referring to the Rafah issue and the Philadelphi Corridor. "We were warned, even by international entities. They mentioned numbers that tens of thousands of uninvolved people would be killed in Rafah. In reality, a few dozen uninvolved people were killed," he added.
Netanyahu approved the dispatch of the delegation to Qatar at a discussion held on Sunday before his departure for the U.S., and those familiar with the details said that it was decided to move forward with negotiations on 29 comments provided by Hamas on the outline. "The negotiation team received the green light to proceed and will convey Israel's response. The guiding principles (announced by Netanyahu) are clear, and the Israeli agreements have been formulated."
The guiding principles deal with the Rafah issue and staying on the Philadelphi Corridor – alongside the supervision of residents moving to the northern Gaza Strip through the Netzarim corridor, with Israel demanding to prevent terrorists from passing through it. "There is a clear understanding that everyone wants to advance a hostages' deal," said those familiar with the details.
After Tel Aviv rally, marchers block Ayalon Highway
On Tuesday evening, a protest march took place in Tel Aviv demanding the approval of a deal as soon as possible. Einav Zangauker, who spoke at the end of the march, called on families of hostages to release videos of their loved ones from Gaza if possible. "I call on the families of the hostages – release videos showing that captives were alive and were murdered. Let the magnitude of the failure be seen. Bring the sons and daughters home. We have a country to rebuild."
At the protest, Elia and Talia Danzig, granddaughters of hostage Alex Danzig - who the IDF announced on Monday had been killed along with hostage Yagev Buchstab months ago while in captivity - also spoke. The two men were killed in Khan Younis while the IDF was operating in the city, and the circumstances of their deaths are now subject to a military investigation. Hamas had announced their deaths in March. The granddaughters spoke with great emotion: "Two days ago, we celebrated his 76th birthday, we were certain he would come home alive. My grandfather was murdered in Hamas captivity because he was abandoned for nine and a half months. And the people in power are abandoning all the captives. They don't have time! We need to bring them back now!" Elia cried out.
Granddaughter Talia played a song she wrote a long time ago on her guitar, marking 100 days of the war: "Every day that passes, you are missed more, and every day that passes, it gets more dangerous," she sang. The crowd joined her: "Praying that we return to good, to love. That hatred stops dividing us and that the hostages return home and the pain diminishes," she said. Einav, who stood beside her, said with a voice broken by tears: "Don't forget the hostages. Don't forget Alex, Yagev. Don't forget the war victims. They are charting the way for us. We must continue in their memory, for their sake."