The Hostage and Missing Families Forum released the video footage showing the kidnapping of the field observation female soldiers from the Nahal Oz base on Oct. 7, taken by body cameras of Hamas terrorists.
Video: Footage showing the kidnapping of IDF female field observers on Oct. 7 by Hamas terrorists
In the footage, the girls appear covered in blood, battered, and terrified as the bodies of their friends lie beside them, surrounded by hordes of terrorists. They can be seen being forcibly handcuffed and pushed against a wall by their captors. At one point, one of the terrorists is heard telling his comrades "Take their pictures." The terrified girls, their faces stained with blood, appear to be in shock. One of the hostages is heard telling the terrorists "I have friends in Palestine," likely in a desperate attempt to appeal for mercy.
However, the ruthless terrorists shout at the girls, "I want you quiet! Quiet! Sit down." They then threaten that "we will shoot you all." One of the terrorists then asks one of the female soldiers to help him speak with his friend in Gaza. He then asks one of the girls, "Where are you from?" To which she responds "Tel Aviv."
A wide-angle photo also shows the degree to which they were bleeding as they were being held handcuffed. Some of them were placed against the wall, handcuffed. Then the video shows the captors sitting next to girls with machine guns on their chests, while others are on the floor praying. One of the terrorists says, "Here are the girls," using a term in Arabic that implies they can be impregnated, adding, "These are the Zionists. You are so beautiful." It is clear that this is met with torment by the look in their eyes.
In a haunting moment, one captor ominously declares to the hostages: "Our brothers died because of you, we will kill you."
The parents of the field observers decided to release the video to the media and public on Wednesday in order to show the violent, degrading, and humiliating treatment they endured in the brutal kidnapping. The 03:10 minute video has been edited and censored and does not include difficult-to-watch parts involving the many killed at the base and armored vehicle from which the lookouts were kidnapped, as well as many violent scenes.
At the Nahal Oz base, 15 field observers serving at the base were murdered on that black Saturday, and some are believed to have been taken hostage. Ori Magidish was rescued by IDF forces after 23 days in captivity, Noa Marciano was killed by Hamas terrorists while in captivity and her body was returned by the IDF for burial in Israel. The IDF has not said how many remain in captivity after 229 days.
"This is the most horrifying video I've seen about the hostages so far. It really shows the depth of their evil – they didn't just come and kidnap, they psychologically tortured these girls," Ashley Waxman-Bakshi, the cousin of one of the hostages seen in the video, said to Walla News. "This is further proof that our greatest fear – rape – is not just a fear. We're getting so many indications that this is really happening there. It's incomprehensible that they've been there for so long.
"The world is starting to forget that there are young women there. Right now it feels like everything is just stuck. The whole world is talking about The Hague but in the end, what's most important is that the hostages return. I don't know what to believe anymore, they say one thing but then something completely different happens. I believe and hope that the video will spur some action."
Sigal, the mother of Noa Prais, one of the field observers killed on Oct. 7, told Israel Hayom that "A month ago, the families of the hostages received an edited video compiled from footage taken by the terrorists' own cameras. While the video focuses on the kidnapped girls, it was shot in the shelter my daughter was in. For those of us who lost loved ones, anything like this video is an excruciating trigger, violently transporting us back to the horrors of that dreadful day. You have to understand the trauma it inflicts on bereaved families."
