Israeli hostage claims 70 captives are dead

ABOUT half of the remaining Israeli hostages abducted by Hamas have been killed in Gaza, an Israeli-american captive said in a rare proof-of-life video.

Hamas released a two-minute video last night showing Hersch Goldbergpolin, 24, appealing to the Israeli government to bring him home.

Ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas that would have included a hostage swap and pause in fighting have collapsed.

The video was released as Israel is preparing to move Palestinian civilians out of Rafah ahead of a major offensive. Hamas has warned that an attack would risk the lives of more hostages. Mr Goldberg-polin, born in California, was kidnapped from the Nova festival, where he lost an arm in a grenade attack.

The video was likely made under duress, and Mr Goldberg-polin appeared sickly, pale and thin as he read at least part of his statement from a teleprompter.

It was not clear when the video was recorded but it appears to have been very recent as Mr Goldberg-polin spoke about 200 days of captivity, which he would have marked earlier this week, and the festival of Passover, which began on Monday evening. He spoke about living in “underground hell without water, food, sun or medical treatment”. He said at least 70 of the remaining 130 or so hostages have been killed in Gaza in Israeli bombings, he said, likely repeating a line given to him by his captors. Official Israeli estimates have put the number closer to 35.

A White House spokesman confirmed it had received the video, the first Hamas has publicly released of a US hostage.

An official said the FBI and hostage rescue experts have been analysing the footage to ascertain if they can glean anything from it.

Mr Goldberg-polin, whose family has been one of the most active advocates of a hostage deal with Hamas, said Benjamin Netanyahu and his government “should be ashamed of themselves” for not stopping the war in Gaza.