Hamas posts video of hostages slain in Rafah

The military wing of the Palestinian radical group Hamas, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigade, posted a video of still-living hostages whose bodies were found on August 31 in Rafah.

The video shows six people introducing themselves one by one. Alexander Lobanov, a Russian national, is seen among them, the man also gave his name in the video. The date and the location of the shooting remain unknown.

"In the coming hours, we will publish their last words," the authors of the video said at the end of the clip.

Later, representatives of the group posted a video of the already deceased hostage Eden Yerushalmi, who called for an end to military action in Gaza.

Israeli public organization The Hostages and Missing Families Forum demanded Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should make a public statement and take responsibility for the deaths of the hostages held captive by Hamas.

Representatives for the movement said that six hostages were killed because the Israeli authorities "torpedoed" the prisoner release deal, let alone the fact that the Israeli army maintains its presence in the Philadelphia Corridor.

"The recovery of the bodies of Ori Danino, Almog Sarusi, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Carmel Gat, Alexander Lobanov, and Eden Yerushalmi is a direct result of failing to sign a deal. They were all murdered in the last few days, after surviving almost 11 months of abuse, torture, and starvation in Hamas captivity. The delay in signing the deal has led to their deaths and those of many other hostages. We call to Netanyahu: Stop hiding. Provide the public with a justification for this ongoing abandonment," the forum further added," The Hostages and Missing Families Forum said in a statement.

During the first operation, 105 hostages were rescued from captivity, but only 8 people have been returned to their homeland in recent months, the organization added.

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The Ezzedeen Al-Qassam Brigades, named after Izz ad-Din al-Qassam, is the military wing of the Palestinian nationalist organization Hamas. Led by Mohammed Deif until his presumed death on 13 July 2024, EQB is the largest and best-equipped militia operating within Gaza today. Created in mid-1991, it was at the time concerned with blocking the Oslo Accords negotiations. From 1994 to 2000, the Al-Qassam Brigades has claimed responsibility for carrying out a number of attacks against Israelis.