A newly released video shows six Israeli hostages celebrating Hanukkah in a tunnel in the Gaza Strip, months before they were killed by Hamas in August 2024.
Two of the clips show the hostages carefully lighting makeshift candles atop a menorah made from disposable cups. Hostages Hirsh Goldberg Porin, Carmel Gat, Eden Elsalmi, Almog Salsi, Oli Danino and Alex Lobanov said a Jewish blessing before lighting candles in early December 2023.
In the video, which appears to be from the second night of the holiday, Sarsi smiles at the camera and says, “Today is the holiday of Hanukkah. It’s a good holiday for us and all the people of Israel. We should celebrate every year and feel happy and joyful. With the help of the miracle of this holiday, we will go home with a great miracle and return to a normal happy life and be happy. All of us.”
The six hostages seen in the video were killed as Israeli forces approached their positions, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said at the time, saying they were “brutally murdered by Hamas terrorists shortly before our arrival.”
The incident was widely considered one of the most painful moments of the war for Israelis and sparked fresh anger at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s failure to secure a hostage deal. Three of the six hostages were scheduled to be released in the first phase of a final ceasefire agreement.
A video released Thursday by the Hostage and Missing Families Forum provides a glimpse into the lives of hostages in captivity. All videos, broadcast in their entirety for the first time by Channel 12’s UVDA, are watermarked “From material shot by IDF.”
During the war, Hamas released propaganda videos showing Israeli hostages pleading with the Israeli government and President Donald Trump to secure their release. But these videos and still images, which the forum claims were taken by Hamas, show some of the time the hostages spent in underground tunnels in Gaza.
In two short clips, some of the hostages can be seen sitting on mats on the floor playing cards or chess. In another photo, Hamas members place fruit on the floor between groups.
One video shows the hostages counting down to New Year’s Eve. When it reaches zero, they stand up and give each other a group hug while saying “Happy New Year.” In the video, the hostages appear relaxed, staring into the camera and sharing their hopes for release.
“Happy New Year to you, your families, and the people of Israel,” Elsalmi said. “We’re really looking forward to going home.”
Goldberg Polin, a dual Israeli and American citizen, waved at the camera and said, “We are here. We are healthy, we are alive. They are taking care of us. We are okay. We want to go home.” His left arm is seen in the video partially blown off by a grenade attack on October 7, 2023.
In a statement accompanying the video’s release, the forum said: “Although Hamas filmed these videos as propaganda, the humanity of six beautiful people shines through them. The whole world should see our loved ones in this moment, their unity, strength and humanity even in the darkest of times.”
