News   /   Palestine

Hamas releases footage of ex-Israeli prisoner, voice of current inmate

Frame grab from footage aired by Al Jazeera on June 6, 2021, reportedly shows Israeli trooper Gilad Schalit during his captivity by the Palestinian resistance movement of Hamas.

Hamas releases previously unseen footage of an Israeli trooper, whom the Palestinian resistance movement held for five straight years from 2006, as well as an audio recording belonging to another Israeli in ongoing captivity by the group.

Qatar’s Al Jazeera television network aired the footage and the audio track on Sunday after reportedly receiving it directly from the group that is based in the Tel Aviv-blockaded Palestinian territory of the Gaza Strip.

Gilad Schalit, the former prisoner, is seen in the footage begging the Israeli regime to help release him and other captured Israeli troopers as well as hoping that Israeli officials are still thinking about the prisoners.

The regime’s Channel 12 cited Israeli security apparatuses as identifying the person speaking in the audio tape as Avera Mengistu, another Israeli, who has reportedly been incarcerated by Hamas since 2014.

Upon hearing the audio, Mengistu’s mother said, "I am waiting for my son and hope to meet him soon, like they have always promised me," referring to Israeli officials’ routine pledges of enabling his release.

According to Tel Aviv, Gaza-based resistance movements are also holding another Israeli named as Hisham al-Sayed.

The Gaza-based resistance groups have been using the prisoner card to enable the release of thousands of Palestinians, who are being held in dire conditions and denied of their most basic rights, in prisoners across the occupied territories.

By keeping Schalit, the group managed to secure release of more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners.

Earlier, senior Hamas’ military official Marwan Issa revealed how the movement had repeatedly prevented the regime from accessing Schalit, before releasing him in 2011.

"More than once, Israel has tried to kidnap senior Hamas figures, including Ahmad Jabari and Ra'ed Al-Attar, and offered large sums of money to anyone who would bring information about Schalit and failed," he said.

Hamas’ release of the evidence came as the group is reportedly in the midst of efforts to realize emancipation of more prisoners from Israeli captivity.


Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.co.uk

SHARE THIS ARTICLE
Press TV News Roku