Ella Elyakim, 8 years old, was kidnapped on October 7th along with her sister Dafna, 15 years old.
The IDF (Israeli Armed Forces, its acronym in Portuguese) published a video this Sunday (May 19, 2024) of one of the children kidnapped by Hamas.
The images show 8-year-old Ella Elyakim in front of an extremist group flag asking the Israeli government to release her.
Ella and her 15-year-old sister Dafna were kidnapped in the October 7 attack. The IDF account on X (formerly Twitter) also published a photo of the two in front of the flag.
8-year-old Ella Elyakim, and her 15-year-old sister Dafna, were kidnapped from their home in Nahal Oz on October 7 by Hamas terrorists.
For 51 days, they were held hostage, terrorized and exploited by Hamas terrorists. In this video, Ella speaks while looking into the eyes of a… pic.twitter.com/N6plWchJ8h
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) May 19, 2024
In the caption, the Army says that 128 people are still being held hostage in Gaza and that it will not leave the region until they are released.
Pressure on Netanyahu
On May 16, War Cabinet Minister Benny Gantz threatened to leave Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition if the government did not approve a post-war plan for the Gaza Strip by June 8.
Gantz’s ultimatum followed a similar move made by Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. The military man said he would not remain in office if Israel chooses to occupy the Gaza Strip.
In addition to internal tension, Netanyahu faces pressure from the international community. Allied countries are calling on Israel not to launch a new, more comprehensive military offensive on the city of Rafah, in southern Gaza, where more than 1 million Palestinian civilians displaced by the war are sheltering.
#Israeli #Army #posts #video #child #held #hostage #Hamas