Hamas releases video showing proof of life from Israeli hostage Omri Miran

Hamas released a video today (Wednesday) showing proof of life from the hostage Omri Miran. The last such indication came in a video released by Hamas about a year ago, at the conclusion of the Passover holiday.

The family said after the video’s release, “On the eve of Holocaust Remembrance Day, when we say ‘Never Again,’ an Israeli citizen is crying for help from Hamas tunnels. This is a disgrace for the State of Israel. Our Omri is strong and will not break, but our hearts are broken. For a year and a half, he and 58 other hostages have been waiting to be brought back. We will not give up and will continue to fight until Omri returns to us – especially to his two daughters, who are waiting with all their hearts to hug him again.”

Omri was abducted from Kibbutz Nahal Oz after being held for hours as a hostage, together with his wife Lishay and their two young daughters. His daughter Alma celebrated her second birthday last month. Earlier this week, Lishay went to the border near the fence at Kibbutz Nir Oz and shouted toward Gaza, hoping he would hear her.

Just today, Omri’s wife sharply criticized the official in charge of negotiations, Ron Dermer, claiming that the Israeli side is being driven by political considerations. She spoke about his lack of experience in the Palestinian arena and the stagnation and standstill in the negotiations since he assumed the role.

Lishay gave an interview this past January to the program Seder Yom (“Agenda”) and stated, “For far too many days now, I’ve been only ‘the wife of’ and ‘the mother of.’ Those are the only roles I have – being the wife of a hostage and the mother of two little girls whose father was abducted before their eyes. They miss him terribly, want him deeply, and need him.”

She described a harrowing reality in which three-year-old children talk in kindergarten about “whose dad is more of a hero in Gaza.”

“This is the discourse of three-year-olds. Does that seem normal to anyone? How did we get to this point?” she asked. Lishay added, “Even little Alma, who was only six months old when her father was abducted, has recently started saying ‘Daddy’ when she cries.”

Written by KAN 11 correspondents Hadas Grinberg and Nofar Moshe Ferdo.