‘Barbarity and Brutality’: Hamas Releases Video of Israeli American Hostage

Latest Developments

• Hamas Hostage Video A Cruel Example of Psychological Warfare: A Hamas video released November 30 via Telegram depicts Israeli American hostage Edan Alexander as he appeals to both Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President-elect Donald Trump to negotiate a deal for the hostages’ release. Appearing at times in deep distress, Alexander states that he has been a prison of Hamas for more than 420 days. The video ends with an animated threat from the Iran-backed terrorist organization that reads “Time is running out.”

• The United States Reacts with Disgust to Latest Hamas Propaganda Effort: National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said in an interview that the video was a “cruel reminder of the barbarity and the brutality of Hamas.” He added that the terrorist organization was “feeling the pressure” in the wake of Hezbollah’s military depletion by Israel and the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar in October.

• Hamas Still Holds 101 Hostages: An organization of hostage families, The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, released a statement calling the video “shocking,” but that the video is “definite proof that… there are living hostages.” Prime Minister Netanyahu said that “Israel is determined to take every action” to release the hostages still held by terrorists in Gaza.

FDD Expert Response

“Hamas has used a range of propaganda to pressure the Israeli government into conceding to its demands, including the release of hostage videos, combat footage showcasing Israeli soldiers falling in battle, and even a fake video of a captured IDF soldier. As ceasefire negotiations gain momentum, Hamas will likely intensify these efforts, particularly related to the hostages still held in Gaza.” — Joe Truzman, Senior Research Analyst and Editor at FDD’s Long War Journal

“Hamas’s latest attempt at psychological warfare is despicable. Videotaping a hostage under duress, coerced to read a political statement, is a heinous war crime. Given Israel’s shellacking of Hezbollah and an incoming Trump administration, the Iran-backed terrorists are turning to desperate propaganda tactics. If Hamas wants to survive the winter, it must surrender and release all the remaining hostages. Until that day, every remaining Hamas member is living on borrowed time.” — Aaron Goren, Research Analyst and Editor