Anat Angrest, the mother of soldier Matan Angrest who was kidnapped into Gaza on October 7, revealed a video of her son Saturday night during a protest in Tel Aviv.
In the video, filmed in captivity, Matan is heard addressing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in words that were likely dictated by his captors.
"Netanyahu, you must, you must make this exchange between the prisoners in Israel and the prisoners here. I really want to see my family and friends. It’s very important. I think you’re capable of this, you just have to want it. But I trust you. You can do it, and I hope it’s as soon as possible," Matan says in the recording.
The video, part of materials discovered in Hamas tunnels and attributed to various levels of the organization, reflects Hamas’ strategy to use hostages to weaken Israel. This directive has been highlighted in previous reports on Hamas’ psychological tactics.
In July, Angrest’s mother revealed at a rally in Tel Aviv that she had received a sign of life from her son in a video discovered in Gaza. The audio released Saturday is based on that footage.
Matan was captured and taken to Gaza while critically wounded and unconscious. He had been in the same tank as Itai Chen and Daniel Peretz, who were killed on October 7, with their bodies also abducted to Gaza. Tomer Leibowitz, who was killed in the fighting, had also been with them.