An Israeli-American hostage, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, has criticized the Israeli government and urged his family to stay strong in a video released by Hamas on Wednesday. The video shows Goldberg-Polin with cropped short hair, providing the first proof that he survived injuries sustained during the militant group's October 7 attacks.
In the video, Goldberg-Polin criticizes the Israeli government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, echoing sentiments expressed by other Israeli hostages in Hamas propaganda videos. Given that he has been held captive in Gaza for six months, it is highly likely that he is speaking under duress.
Goldberg-Polin makes reference to Israeli government ministers sitting down to holiday dinners with their families, specifically mentioning the Jewish holiday of Passover, which began on Monday night and is traditionally celebrated with a family dinner.
He concludes the video by urging his family to stay strong for him and expressing hope that he was able to provide them with some comfort during the holiday period.
Goldberg-Polin, who was born in the United States, moved to Israel with his family in 2008. His parents, Rachel Goldberg and Jon Polin, revealed that they last heard from their son on the day of the attacks when they received two WhatsApp messages in quick succession: one saying 'I love you' and the next 'I'm sorry.' Despite their attempts to reach him immediately, their calls went unanswered.
