Hamas releases video showing Israeli captive alive, marking his birthday

Hamas's armed wing released a video Wednesday showing an Israeli captive walking through a tunnel in Gaza and lighting a candle to mark his birthday.

In the nearly three-minute clip published by the Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades, the captive, who identifies himself as Omri Miran, addresses the camera in Hebrew. Israeli media confirmed his identity.

AFP was unable to verify when the footage was recorded, but in it, Miran says he is marking his 48th birthday, which fell on 11 April.

He is initially shown walking through a tunnel, then seated on a mattress in a confined space, acknowledging protesters in Israel who have been demonstrating against the government and demanding the captives' release.

He states that captives are living in constant fear of bombings and urges a deal to be reached as soon as possible to secure their release.

During the 7 October attack, Miran, an Israeli-Hungarian, was seized from his home in kibbutz Nahal Oz in front of his wife Lichay Miran-Lavi and their two small daughters.

He previously appeared in an undated video released by Hamas on 27 April 2024.

In that footage, he urged his family to pressure the Israeli government to strike a deal with Hamas on freeing the captives.

After seeing that video of a bearded Miran, apparently unable to shave, his father, Dani Miran, told AFP he was letting his own beard grow in solidarity.

During their attack, Hamas abducted 251 captives and took them to Gaza. Of those, 58 are still being held there, including 34 the Israeli military says are dead.