In a heart-wrenching revelation, Anat Angrest, mother of IDF soldier Matan Angrest, has shared details of a video showing her son in captivity in Gaza. The footage was discovered by IDF soldiers operating in the Strip.
Speaking at a rally in Tel Aviv's Hostages Square and later in an interview on Kan Reshet Bet, Angrest described the video as "raw" and unedited by Hamas. "Seeing your child, who was with you just a week ago for a holiday, festive and smiling, suddenly bruised with a Hamas cloth in the background - it's a very disturbing situation," Angrest said.
The video shows 21-year-old Matan, visibly bruised but speaking clearly and forcefully. In a direct address to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Matan says, "Netanyahu, I don't understand how this happened, but I trust you to get me out of here." The irony of these words is not lost on Angrest, who noted that her son was one of Netanyahu's voters.
Despite the distressing nature of the footage, Angrest clings to a glimmer of hope, drawing comfort from Matan's clear speech and demeanor. In a bitter twist of fate, she considers herself "lucky" among hostage families for having this video evidence of her son's condition.
Matan was kidnapped to Gaza while severely injured and unconscious, having been in a tank with comrades Itay Hen and Daniel Perez, who were killed on October 7. Their bodies, along with that of Tomer Leibovitz who also fell in the fighting, were taken to Gaza.
As the captivity of the hostages stretches into its 275th day, families are growing increasingly desperate and vocal in their demands for action. At the rally, Angrest delivered a scathing rebuke to cabinet ministers opposing a deal with Hamas, labeling them as "evil people" who want soldiers to "keep dying" to satisfy their "desire for revenge."
"Until when will a vocal minority that places the sanctity of revenge over the sanctity of man be the voice deciding Matan's fate?" Angrest asked.
The hostage crisis has become a lightning rod for political and social tensions in Israel, with families caught between hope for their loved ones' return and the complex realities of negotiating with Hamas.
As pressure mounts on the government to secure a comprehensive deal for the release of all 120 hostages, the words of Matan's father, Hagai Angrest, echo the sentiments of many: "We must do everything to bring about a comprehensive deal and bring everyone home. We are exhausted."
* Kann News and Times of Israel contributed to this report.