‘Enough of War!’: Hamas Releases Heart-Wrenching Hostage Video Calling for Ceasefire, Israel Rejects it as ‘Propaganda’- wna24

Tel Aviv: Hamas on Saturday released a video featuring Israeli hostages, urging PM Benjamin Netanyahu-led government to finalise the second phase of a ceasefire agreement to secure their release.

The footage, shared by the terrorist group’s armed wing, the Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades, emerged as the first stage of the ceasefire agreement, implemented on January 19, was about to expire on Saturday with no clarity on what would come next.

The three-minute video features five hostages, including Yair Horn, who was released on February 15, and his brother Eitan Horn, who remains in captivity. The video also includes Sagui Dekel-Chen and two other unidentified hostages, their faces blurred for safety.

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In an emotional and desperate plea, Horn directly addresses the Israeli government, urging them to move forward with the second phase of the ceasefire deal.

“I do not want to hear that you do not want to complete the second phase. Have you gone crazy? My brother will leave, and I will stay here. And the rest of the people will stay here for a year and a half. What have you done for a year and a half? How many more people do you want to kill?” Eitan said.

He further added, “Sign the second and third stage. Enough of war!”

As the video concludes, a message from Hamas appears, stating: “Only a ceasefire agreement brings them back alive,” with the ticking of an egg timer and the words “Time is running out” adding to the urgency.

This comes as Hamas proposed the release of all remaining hostages in a single phase under a second-stage ceasefire deal, but Israel has rejected this offer. Instead, Israeli officials are pushing for continued staggered releases under an extension of the first-stage agreement.

Following the video’s release, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office dismissed the footage as “Hamas propaganda.” In a statement, Netanyahu’s office called the video a “cruel propaganda piece” and accused Hamas of using hostages as part of “psychological warfare.”

“The Hamas terrorist organisation has, this evening, disseminated another cruel propaganda video in which our hostages are forced to engage in psychological warfare,” Netanyahu’s office said in the statement.

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“Israel will not be deterred by Hamas propaganda. We will continue to act relentlessly for the return of all of our hostages and until all objectives of the war are met,” the statement added.

Meanwhile, the ‘Hostages and Missing Families Forum,’ an Israeli advocacy group, supported the release of the footage, confirming that the Horn family had approved its publication.

The family expressed heartbreak over the emotional farewell between the two brothers, with Yair being freed while Eitan remains in captivity for over 500 days.

The forum called for urgent action: “We demand from the decision-makers: Look Eitan in the eyes. Don’t stop the agreement that has already brought dozens of hostages back to us. They are running out of time! Bring everyone home, now, in one phase.”