Hamas, the militant group that rules Gaza, has released a video for the first time that purports to show an Israeli citizen who’s been held in the coastal strip for years.
(Bloomberg) — Hamas, the militant group that rules Gaza, has released a video for the first time that purports to show an Israeli citizen who’s been held in the coastal strip for years.
The footage appears to show Avera Mengistu, also known as Avraham Mengistu, who first identifies himself and then asks how much longer he will remain captive. It isn’t clear when the video was made.
Mengistu’s brother said he wasn’t sure whether the man in the video is Avera, Channel 12 reported.
Israel’s Defense Ministry said in July 2015 that two Israelis were being held in Gaza. Mengistu, a resident of the southern city of Ashkelon, crossed the security barrier into Gaza of his own accord in September 2014, according to the ministry.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at the time that the government was working to return the two Israelis, and that he held Hamas responsible for their fate.
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