Latest news with #MaximHerkin
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Hamas releases video of Israeli hostage as 11 killed in strikes on Gaza
Hamas on Saturday released footage of an apparently injured Israeli-Russian hostage held in Gaza as 11 Palestinians, including three infants, were killed in a strike on the territory, its civil defence agency said. Israel resumed major operations across Gaza on March 18 amid deadlock over how to proceed with a two-month ceasefire that had largely halted the war sparked by Hamas's October 2023 attack. The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said at least 2,396 people have been killed since Israel resumed its campaign in Gaza, bringing the overall death toll from the war to 52,495. Gaza militants still hold 58 hostages, 34 of whom the army says are dead. Hamas is also holding the remains of an Israeli soldier killed in a previous war in Gaza in 2014. The militant group's armed wing, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, released a video on Saturday showing a hostage AFP and Israeli media identified as Russian-Israeli Maxim Herkin. In the undated four-minute video, Herkin, who turns 37 at he end of May, was shown wearing bandages on his head and left arm. Speaking in Hebrew in the video, which his family urged media to to disseminate, he implied he had been wounded in a recent Israeli bombardment and referred to himself only as "Prisoner 24". - 'Coming home' - AFP was unable to determine the health of Herkin, who gave a similar message to other hostages shown in videos released by Hamas, urging pressure on the Israeli government to free the remaining captives. Herkin also appeared in a previous video released by Hamas in early April. In that video, he appeared alongside a second hostage Israeli media identified as soldier Bar Kuperstein. Both men were abducted by Palestinian militants from the Nova music festival during the Hamas attack, which resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people on the Israeli side, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. Herkin, had emigrated to Israel from Ukraine with his mother. Before being abducted, the father of one had written to his mother: "All is well. I'm coming home." Several thousand Israelis demonstrated outside the defence ministry in Tel Aviv on Saturday, demanding action from the government to secure the hostages' release. The government says its renewed offensive is aimed at forcing Hamas to free its remaining captives, although critics charge that it puts them in mortal danger. Since the end of the truce, Hamas has released several videos of hostages. The latest images come as efforts by mediators to broker a new truce have stalled. - 'Bright light' - In Gaza, the civil defence agency said on Saturday that an overnight Israeli strike on the Khan Yunis refugee camp killed at least 11 people, including three infants aged one or less. Agency spokesman Mahmud Bassal say they were killed in the "bombardment of the Al-Bayram family home in Khan Yunis camp" at around 3:00 am (0000 GMT). Bassal told AFP that eight of the dead had been identified and were all from the same extended family, including a boy and girl, both one, and a month-old baby. An Israeli army spokesperson confirmed the strike, saying it targeted a "Hamas member". Rescue workers and residents combed the rubble for survivors with their bare hands, under the light of hand-held torches, an AFP journalist reported. Neighbour Fayka Abu Hatab said she "saw a bright light, then there was an explosion, and dust covered the entire area". "We couldn't see anything, it all went dark," she said. Israel has blocked all aid deliveries to Gaza since March 2, prompting dire warnings from UN agencies of impending humanitarian disaster. str-csp/kir
Morocco World
04-05-2025
- Health
- Morocco World
Gaza Genocide: Tensions Escalate as Israel Calls Up Reserve Forces
Rabat – In a significant alarming military escalation, Israel has begun mobilizing tens of thousands of reservists to intensify operations in Gaza, according to multiple Israeli news sources. The development coincides with Hamas releasing footage of a hostage Russian-Israeli man, identified by media as Maxim Herkin. The video shows a bandaged individual speaking Hebrew with a Russian accent who refers to himself as 'prisoner number 24' and appears to have sustained injuries from bombing. His family has requested media outlets refrain from sharing the recording. The Israeli Occupation Forces' (IOF) are fortifying their ranks following months of committing a devastating genocide on Gaza. After a brief two-month ceasefire, IOF resumed its genocidal assaults on March 18, continuing the genocide that has killed over 52,000 Palestinian lives according to Hamas Health Ministry figures. Exacerbating the already dire catastrophe, the IOF enforced on March 2 a food and humanitarian aid blockade that international organizations have strongly condemned, accusing Netanyahu's government as using it asa a tactic of collective punishment against civilians. The World Health Organization (WHO) warned against a 'catastrophic' situation looming the enclave due to the prolonged prevention entry of medical aid for nearly two months. 'We are very close to the edge of the abyss,' said WHO spokesperson Margaret Harris in a statement, pointing out the dire impact of the Israeli siege on Gaza's healthcare system. Read also: ICJ Holds Hearings on Israel's Humanitarian Obligations to Palestinians Since dawn on Sunday, Israeli airstrikes have already killed 23 Palestinians, including 19 in southern Gaza. As usual, Israel justifies their relentless assaults as necessary in order to pressure to secure the release the remaining hostages from Gaza as well as broader security objectives. Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu has recently vowed that he will get back the hostages without caving down to Hamas' pressure. The newly mobilized reservists will reportedly replace active-duty occupation forces across Israel and the West Bank, freeing those troops for combat operations in Gaza. When questioned, the IOF' spokespersons neither confirmed nor denied these deployment plans, though mobilization orders (Tsav 8) are already reaching civilians. On Saturday evening, thousands of Israelis gathered in Tel Aviv carrying photos of hostages, demanding their government take more effective action to bring hostages home safely. Tags: GazaHamas and Israel
Gulf Today
04-05-2025
- Politics
- Gulf Today
11 killed in Israeli strikes on Gaza as Hamas releases video of a hostage
Hamas on Saturday released footage of an apparently injured Israeli-Russian hostage held in Gaza as 11 Palestinians, including three infants, were killed in a strike on the territory, its civil defence agency said. Israel resumed major operations across Gaza on March 18 amid deadlock over how to proceed with a two-month ceasefire that had largely halted the war sparked by Hamas's October 2023 attack. The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said at least 2,396 people have been killed since Israel resumed its campaign in Gaza, bringing the overall death toll from the war to 52,495. Gaza fighters still hold 58 hostages, 34 of whom the army says are dead. Hamas is also holding the remains of an Israeli soldier killed in a previous war in Gaza in 2014. Smoke rises from Gaza after an Israeli airstrike on Saturday. Reuters The Palestinian group's armed wing, the Ezzedine Al Qassam Brigades, released a video on Saturday showing a hostage to the media and Israeli media identified as Russian-Israeli Maxim Herkin. In the undated four-minute video, Herkin, who turns 37 at he end of May, was shown wearing bandages on his head and left arm. Speaking in Hebrew in the video, which his family urged media to to disseminate, he implied he had been wounded in a recent Israeli bombardment and referred to himself only as "Prisoner 24". 'Coming home' The media was unable to determine the health of Herkin, who gave a similar message to other hostages shown in videos released by Hamas, urging pressure on the Israeli government to free the remaining captives. Herkin also appeared in a previous video released by Hamas in early April. In that video, he appeared alongside a second hostage Israeli media identified as soldier Bar Kuperstein. Both men were abducted by Palestinian fighters from the Nova music festival during the Hamas attack, which resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people on the Israeli side, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. Palestinians search the rubble of a house targeted by an Israeli army strike in Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, on Saturday. AP Herkin, had emigrated to Israel from Ukraine with his mother. Before being abducted, the father of one had written to his mother: "All is well. I'm coming home." Several thousand Israelis demonstrated outside the defence ministry in Tel Aviv on Saturday, demanding action from the government to secure the hostages' release. The government says its renewed offensive is aimed at forcing Hamas to free its remaining captives, although critics charge that it puts them in mortal danger. Since the end of the truce, Hamas has released several videos of hostages. The latest images come as efforts by mediators to broker a new truce have stalled. 'Bright light' In Gaza, the civil defence agency said on Saturday that an overnight Israeli strike on the Khan Yunis refugee camp killed at least 11 people, including three infants aged one or less. Agency spokesman Mahmud Bassal say they were killed in the "bombardment of the Al-Bayram family home in Khan Yunis camp" at around 3:00 am (0000 GMT). Bassal told AFP that eight of the dead had been identified and were all from the same extended family, including a boy and girl, both one, and a month-old baby. An Israeli army spokesperson confirmed the strike, saying it targeted a "Hamas member". Palestinians receive donated food at a community kitchen in Beit Lahia, northern Gaza Strip, on Saturday. AP Rescue workers and residents combed the rubble for survivors with their bare hands, under the light of hand-held torches, an AFP journalist reported. Neighbour Fayka Abu Hatab said she "saw a bright light, then there was an explosion, and dust covered the entire area". "We couldn't see anything, it all went dark," she said. Israel has blocked all aid deliveries to Gaza since March 2, prompting dire warnings from UN agencies of impending humanitarian disaster. Agence France-Presse
Al Arabiya
04-05-2025
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
Hamas armed wing releases video of apparently injured Israeli-Russian hostage
The armed wing of Hamas, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, released a video Saturday showing an Israeli-Russian hostage who appeared to have been injured in a strike on the Palestinian territory. In the undated four-minute video, the hostage, wearing bandages on his head and left arm spoke in Hebrew, implying he had been wounded in a recent Israeli bombardment. AFP and Israeli media identified the hostage as Russian-Israeli Maxim Herkin, who turns 37 a the end of May. His family urged media not to disseminate the video. He referred to himself only as 'Prisoner 24' in the footage and was not identified by Hamas. He was shown lying on the ground and referred to Israel's Independence Day celebrations on Thursday as upcoming, suggesting the video was filmed shortly beforehand. AFP was unable to determine the health of Herkin, who gave a similar message to other hostages shown in videos released by Hamas, urging pressure on the Israeli government to free the remaining captives. Militants in the territory still hold 58 hostages seized in Hamas's October 2023 attack on Israel. The army says 34 of them are dead. Hamas is also holding the remains of an Israeli soldier killed in a previous war in Gaza in 2014. 'Coming home' Herkin also appeared in a previous video released by Hamas in early April, wearing a small bandage on his right wrist and a bandage on his cheek and ear. In that video, he appeared alongside a second hostage Israeli media identified as soldier Bar Kuperstein. Palestinian militants had abducted the two men from the Nova music festival during the Hamas attack which resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people on the Israeli side, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. A truce in Gaza between Israel and Hamas came into force on January 19, largely halting more than 15 months of fighting. During the six-week ceasefire militants handed over 33 hostages, eight of them dead. Israel resumed major operations across Gaza on March 18 amid deadlock over next steps in the ceasefire. The health ministry in Gaza said on Saturday that at least 2,396 people have been killed since Israel resumed its campaign in Gaza, bringing the overall death toll since the war broke out to 52,495. The Israeli government says its renewed offensive aims to force Hamas to free the remaining captives, although critics charge that it puts them in mortal danger. Since the end of the truce, Hamas has released several videos of hostages. The latest images come as efforts by mediators to broker a new truce have stalled. Herkin, had emigrated to Israel from Ukraine with his mother. Before being taken from the Nova festival, Herkin, father of a young girl, had written to his mother: 'All is well. I'm coming home.'
France 24
03-05-2025
- Politics
- France 24
Hamas releases video of Israeli hostage as 11 killed in strikes on Gaza
Israel resumed major operations across Gaza on March 18 amid deadlock over how to proceed with a two-month ceasefire that had largely halted the war sparked by Hamas's October 2023 attack. The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said at least 2,396 people have been killed since Israel resumed its campaign in Gaza, bringing the overall death toll from the war to 52,495. Gaza militants still hold 58 hostages, 34 of whom the army says are dead. Hamas is also holding the remains of an Israeli soldier killed in a previous war in Gaza in 2014. The militant group's armed wing, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, released a video on Saturday showing a hostage AFP and Israeli media identified as Russian-Israeli Maxim Herkin. In the undated four-minute video, Herkin, who turns 37 at he end of May, was shown wearing bandages on his head and left arm. Speaking in Hebrew in the video, which his family urged media to to disseminate, he implied he had been wounded in a recent Israeli bombardment and referred to himself only as "Prisoner 24". 'Coming home' AFP was unable to determine the health of Herkin, who gave a similar message to other hostages shown in videos released by Hamas, urging pressure on the Israeli government to free the remaining captives. Herkin also appeared in a previous video released by Hamas in early April. In that video, he appeared alongside a second hostage Israeli media identified as soldier Bar Kuperstein. Both men were abducted by Palestinian militants from the Nova music festival during the Hamas attack, which resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people on the Israeli side, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. Herkin, had emigrated to Israel from Ukraine with his mother. Before being abducted, the father of one had written to his mother: "All is well. I'm coming home." Several thousand Israelis demonstrated outside the defence ministry in Tel Aviv on Saturday, demanding action from the government to secure the hostages' release. The government says its renewed offensive is aimed at forcing Hamas to free its remaining captives, although critics charge that it puts them in mortal danger. Since the end of the truce, Hamas has released several videos of hostages. The latest images come as efforts by mediators to broker a new truce have stalled. 'Bright light' In Gaza, the civil defence agency said on Saturday that an overnight Israeli strike on the Khan Yunis refugee camp killed at least 11 people, including three infants aged one or less. Agency spokesman Mahmud Bassal say they were killed in the "bombardment of the Al-Bayram family home in Khan Yunis camp" at around 3:00 am (0000 GMT). Bassal told AFP that eight of the dead had been identified and were all from the same extended family, including a boy and girl, both one, and a month-old baby. An Israeli army spokesperson confirmed the strike, saying it targeted a "Hamas member". Rescue workers and residents combed the rubble for survivors with their bare hands, under the light of hand-held torches, an AFP journalist reported. Neighbour Fayka Abu Hatab said she "saw a bright light, then there was an explosion, and dust covered the entire area". "We couldn't see anything, it all went dark," she said.
