Hamas has released footage of Eden Yerushalmi, one of the six Israeli hostages whose bodies were recently recovered from tunnels in Rafah. This move marks a grim escalation in the their psychological warfare tactics against Israel and the families of those still held captive in Gaza.
The two-minute video was partially approved for release by Yerushalmi's family. Although the exact date of recording remains unclear, it's believed to have been filmed before her tragic death.
In a poignant moment, Yerushalmi expresses love for her parents and two sisters, her eyes rimmed with dark circles but her speech animated.
International law experts and rights groups emphasize that such hostage videos are always made under duress, and that the captives' statements were most likely coerced. Israeli officials have denounced these videos as "psychological warfare," with experts suggesting their production may even constitute a war crime.
The Israeli health ministry reported that forensic examination indicates the six hostages, including Yerushalmi, were shot at close range between Thursday and Friday morning. Their bodies were recovered by the IDF and Shin Bet in a covert operation on Sunday.
Yerushalmi's story has captured international attention since Hamas abducted her from the Nova Music Festival on October 7.
The 24 year old bartender was last heard in a desperate phone call to her sisters, ending with the chilling words, "They've caught me."
In the months following her abduction, her family had traveled to New York, Paris, and Washington to advocate for her (and the other hostages') release.
Everyone in Israel and many in the rest of the world hoped for a different ending, especially after she survived for more than 330 days in the hellish terror tunnels of Gaza. Unfortunately, it was not to be.
Hamas took responsibility for her murder. According to Abu Obeida, after "Operation Arnon" - which he calls the "Nuseirat incident" - in which the hostages Noa Argamani, Almog Meir Jan, Andrei Kozlov, and Shlomi Ziv were rescued, "new instructions were given to the guards of the prisoners (hostages) on how to handle them in case the occupation army approaches the place where they are held."
We now know that those instructions likely included murdering the hostages so that they could not return to Israel alive.
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