Israel shocked again by release of video showing 5 female IDF captives from Oct 7

Trigger alert – The video below contains graphic content that may be disturbing for some viewers.

The parents of the five female IDF spotters who were abducted from the Nahal Oz base and are still in Hamas captivity released a video to the media and public showing scenes from the abduction of the young women by Palestinian terrorists on Oct. 7. 

Naama Levy, Liri Elbag, Karina Ariev, Daniella Gilboa and Agam Berger were all spotters, working at Nahal Oz, where they remotely observed the security fence via cameras. After reporting a shooting at the base before 7 a.m., the young women received no further contact from the military.

The video has been edited and censored by the parents and the IDF's Intelligence Directorate and runs for a little over three minutes. Many of the more difficult portions were removed, including parts that showed murdered soldiers in the base. 

In the video, which was filmed by one of the terrorists involved in the raid on Nahal Oz on Oct. 7, the female military spotters can be seen handcuffed, bleeding and answering questions from their Hamas captors. At some points, the terrorists are seen shouting at the young female soldiers, threatening to hit them or kill them, before questioning them and leading them into vehicles for transport to Gaza.

The video was compiled from footage seized by IDF and Shin Bet soldiers during an operation in Gaza. 

Trigger alert –

The video of the female observers’ abduction, is a wake-up call to the civilized world. We must condemn those actions and we can not abandon the hostages held captive for 229 days.

This video, captured by the body cameras of Hamas terrorists on October 7th,… pic.twitter.com/wuRxpsTBtA

— Bring Them Home Now (@bringhomenow) May 22, 2024

None of the young women have been heard from since the hostage release in November last year, when a few of them passed messages to their families via the released hostages. 

After the original video was discovered and examined by the IDF's Intelligence Directorate, the parents of the young ladies were summoned to see the footage. At their request, the edited video was given to the Israeli Cabinet for viewing, although some ministers refused to watch it.

Recently, the families of the female hostages requested to show the video to the public. After the video was reviewed again by the Intelligence Directorate, it was approved to be released by Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi.

A security source told Maariv Online that the full, unedited film was difficult to watch, however, contrary to rumors, it contained no physical sexual assaults on female soldiers. 

The final released version of the video does contain statements in Arabic from the Hamas terrorists referring to the young female soldiers with a word meaning sex slave. At one point one of the terrorists is heard saying, “Here are the sex slaves.” 

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and several other Israeli politicians posted their reactions to the video on social media. 

“I am shocked by the video documenting the abduction of our dear female observers. We will continue to do everything to bring them home,” the prime minister posted to 𝕏. 

“The world must look at this cruel atrocity,” President Isaac Herzog wrote in a statement. “Those who care about women's rights must speak out. All those who believe in freedom must speak out, and do everything possible to bring all of the hostages home now.” 

War Cabinet Minister Benny Gantz wrote: “When I first watched the shocking video of the abduction of the spotters from Nahal Oz, my stomach turned upside down, and the thoughts about them do not let go and will not let go until they return, and all the girls and boys return. But the responsibility of leaders is not just to look reality in the eye – it is to create a different reality even when it comes to difficult decisions. And that's our responsibility."

After the release of the video, families of the hostages and thousands of demonstrators blocked Begin Road in Tel Aviv, demanding that the Israeli government agree to a deal that would bring the hostages home. 

Another demonstration took place outside the Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem, where protesters accused the government of abandoning the hostages. 

The Hostage Family Forum released a statement calling on the government to return to the negotiating table. 

“The video is a sharp indictment of a national failure to deal with the abductions and the abductees,” the statement said. “There is no chance of restoring hope to Israel without restoring all of them - the Israeli government must not waste even one more moment – it must return to the negotiating table today.”