The prisoner, whose name has not been disclosed, was seen sitting on a bed inside a cramped room, his chest bones clearly visible in a shocking scene reflecting the effects of starvation and malnutrition. The video was accompanied by old footage of the same prisoner with another prisoner in a car, observing the release ceremony of their comrades as part of the previous exchange agreement in January, from which Israel later withdrew in March.
In a recording broadcast in three languages: Arabic, English, and Hebrew, the Qassam Brigades asserted that the Israeli prisoners it holds "eat what we eat and drink what we drink," and that the suffering of the prisoner shown in the video is a direct reflection of the siege and starvation to which the people of Gaza are subjected.
The video included footage of malnourished Palestinian children, along with televised remarks by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who emphasized that "the minimum amount of aid will be allowed in." National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir was seen saying, "What should be sent to Gaza are bombs," in a clear expression of the government's position on the humanitarian catastrophe.
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In the video, Qassam Brigades re-released footage from February 23, showing the same prisoner and another man in a car, moments before a number of Israeli prisoners were handed over as part of the exchange deal. Both appeared stunned and sad as they watched their comrades depart for freedom.
At that point, the two prisoners made a direct appeal to Netanyahu, with one of them saying, "Please, save us so we can return home. Our lives have been destroyed." The other added, "Netanyahu, you killed us. We are watching our friends being released, and we are still here after more than 500 days of captivity."
The Al-Qassam Brigades have repeatedly emphasized that the Netanyahu government shows no concern for the lives of its prisoners held in Gaza, prioritizing its own political calculations over their fate.
With the negotiations deadlocked, Washington and Tel Aviv last week withdrew their direct participation in the prisoner negotiations in Doha, despite the launch of a new round on July 6 under Qatari and Egyptian sponsorship.
Since the beginning of Israel's genocide in Gaza on October 7, 2023, the systematic starvation policy has escalated, particularly after the closure of all crossings on March 2, leading to widespread famine and catastrophic levels.
The US-backed genocide has so far resulted in the martyrdom and injury of more than 208,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children. In addition, more than 9,000 are missing and hundreds of thousands have been displaced. This is in addition to the ongoing starvation policy that has claimed the lives of numerous civilians.
