The family of soldier Matan Angrest, who is being held by Hamas in Gaza, on Friday evening approved the publication of a video released by Hamas which contains a sign of life from Matan.
In the video, Angrest can be heard saying, "The feeling is that the IDF, the State of Israel, and the government have abandoned us in captivity for a very long time. We are starting to lose hope. We don’t see an end. I want to say to the IDF: You won’t succeed in bringing us back with military force. The only way is through a deal."
Additionally, Matan directly addresses US President Donald Trump, saying in Hebrew, "Bring back all the hostages. You are the only one with the power to influence Netanyahu and the government and push for this deal. Make every effort to bring us home as quickly as possible."
Matan’s family stated, “We are shaken by the video we just saw, in which we see our Matan looking drained and desperate after 518 days in Hamas’ tunnels.”
“Beyond the severe psychological state evident in the footage, his right hand is non-functional, his eyes and mouth are asymmetrical, and his nose is broken—according to testimonies from those who have returned, all due to interrogations and torture in captivity. What more proof is needed to understand that time has run out?”
“We ask of you, President Trump, to continue fighting for our Matan and all 58 other hostages with the same unwavering commitment and relentless determination. We must not stop until the deal is completed—only when the last hostage comes home,” the family stated.
Earlier this week, a photograph of Angrest was published on the Uvda program which airs on Channel 12.
The photograph was taken from a video made by the Hamas terrorist organization. It came six months after the first sign of life from Matan, when Hamas released a recording of him appealing to the Prime Minister to release him.
Angrest was abducted on October 7, 2023, from a burning tank in Nahal Oz. According to testimonies gathered recently, he was held for an extended period of time in a dark, airless dungeon.
At the time of his abduction, he was seriously injured, suffering from serious burns, damage to his eyes, and injuries to his body. Additionally, according to testimonies, the terrorists are deliberately starving him.
(Israel National News' North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Israel National News articles, however, is Israeli time.)