Hamas Releases Video of Israeli Captive Liri Elbag Criticizing Government Inaction
The al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, released a video on Saturday featuring Israeli captive Liri Elbag, 19, voicing frustration over her continued detention since October 7, 2023.
In the footage, Elbag criticized the Israeli government and military, accusing them of "manipulating the fate of hostages." She revealed that another captive had sustained severe injuries due to ongoing Israeli military operations, emphasizing that the captives' release depended on the withdrawal of Israeli forces. She expressed that prisoners were "not a priority for the government or the army."
Addressing Israeli leaders, Elbag condemned their reliance on military operations to secure the captives' release, stating, "This will not work, and you know it. It’s insane to believe that this method will achieve results."
Elbag described her experience as a "terrifying nightmare," adding, "After witnessing death firsthand and what happened to my friend, I realized that our lives don’t matter to you (Israeli leaders). I understood that we are just pawns in your hands. This chaotic pursuit we’re enduring is abnormal and inhumane."
She concluded her statement with a direct message to Israeli settlers, "If anything happens to me, let it be written on my grave that it was all because of the government and the army."
كتائب القسام تنشر رسالة من أسيرة لدى المقاومة موجهة لحكومة الاحتلال: "أسألكم يا حكومة "إسرائيل"، حقاً أريد أن أسألكم، هل تريدون قتلنا؟"#الميادين #فلسطين_المحتلة #طوفان_الاقصى pic.twitter.com/sPWfbsMjpJ
— قناة الميادين (@AlMayadeenNews) January 4, 2025
Protests Erupt Across Israel Demanding Hostage Swap Deal
The Israeli police arrested four protesters near Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's residence in occupied al-Quds during a demonstration supporting a prisoner exchange deal with Palestinian groups.
Dozens of families of captives gathered outside the residence of Israeli President Isaac Herzog in Tel Aviv, urging him to pressure the government and its leader to finalize the exchange agreement.
Protests spread across over 70 locations throughout occupied Palestine, following a call by the Hostages' Families Committee for mass evening demonstrations. The committee emphasized the urgency of "accelerating the completion of the prisoner exchange deal, especially as talks in Doha continue."
Major demonstrations occurred in Tel Aviv, occupied al-Quds, and Haifa. Protesters in Tel Aviv blocked the road leading to the Ministry of Security. Sit-ins also took place outside the residences of Knesset Foreign Affairs and Security Committee Chair Yuli Edelstein in Herzliya and Education Minister Yoav Kisch in Hod Hasharon.
The Israeli Hostages' Families Committee accused Netanyahu of indifference to the plight of captives, stating, "He does not want the war to end and is running a campaign to prolong it."