Al-Qassam publishes scenes of 2 Israeli prisoners in deteriorating health, psychological conditions
GAZA, May 10 (YPA) – The Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), released a new video on Saturday showing two Israeli prisoners held by the Palestinian resistance in the Gaza Strip, one of them appeared to be in critical health and psychological condition.
In the video, one of the two prisoners, who identified himself as Prisoner No. 21, spoke while sitting next to his sick colleague lying on the bed, saying, “This is Prisoner No. 22… I do not want to talk about myself, but about him, because his situation is very difficult in all aspects.”
The prisoner addressed the Zionist settlers directly, saying, “There are still many living prisoners. If you want to know their number, simply ask Sara Netanyahu. Apparently, she knows what you don’t.”
He added, addressing Netanyahu’s wife, “You, Sara, simply tell me what number you want so we can return home? How many must die?”
Harsh conditions and self-harm attempts
Describing the conditions facing the prisoners, the prisoner said that the months-long war has had a devastating impact on their psychological and physical well-being. He revealed that his fellow prisoner had recently attempted suicide. “A few days ago, my colleague tried to harm himself, but I and one of the Al-Qassam fighters intervened to stop him, and he also tried to harm us due to his deteriorating condition,” the prisoner said.
He added, “Our lives have become a constant struggle. There is insufficient food, no sleep, and my colleague is unwilling to eat or drink. Every minute that passes in this miserable reality is critical.”
A message to the Zionist pilots
In another part of his speech, the prisoner addressed the Zionist pilots who signed petitions demanding an end to the war, saying, “I am proud of you because you decided not to fly… because your flying poses a danger to us as well.” However, he also harshly criticized their colleagues, saying, “Those who are still flying and bombing us and civilians… how do you justify this to your families?”
A faltering deal
According to its own statements, the Al-Qassam Brigades still hold 59 Israeli prisoners, most of whom are soldiers, stressing that a ceasefire and a prisoner exchange deal are the only conditions for their release.
The first phase of the ceasefire agreement last January resulted in the release of dozens of Israeli prisoners in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. However, the Netanyahu government reneged on subsequent commitments and refused to implement the second and third phases of the agreement, which was brokered by Egypt and Qatar.
YPA