Nimrod Cohen's family identifies him in Hamas propaganda video featuring Yair and Eitan Horn’s separation

The Hamas terrorist organization on Saturday published a propaganda video showing freed hostage Yair Horn bidding farewell to his brother Eitan before his release.

In the video, which was released with the approval of the Horn family, five hostages are seen sitting on the floor inside what appears to be a Hamas tunnel. Hamas blurred the faces of two hostages in the footage, while the faces of Yair, Eitan, and Sagui Dekel-Chen, who was also released, remain visible.

After the video was published, the family of hostage Nimrod Cohen were able to identify him based on a tattoo visible on his arm, which he had gotten just days before the Hamas invasion and massacre on Oct. 7, 2023. 

“He got the tattoo a few days before he was kidnapped,” Nimrod's father, Yehuda Cohen, told the Ynet news site. “I’m disappointed that we don’t see Nimrod’s face because I haven’t seen him in a year and a half, but these are Hamas’s games.” 

As the hostages embrace in the video, the camera shifts to focus on Eitan and Yair.

“I am very happy that my brother will be released tomorrow, but it is not logical in any way that families are being separated,” a visibly distraught Eitan says. “Take everyone out and don't separate families, don't ruin the lives of all of us. Tell Mom and Dad to continue the demonstrations so that this government will sign the second phase and that they will all take us home.” 

Yehuda Cohen, the father of Nimrod, spoke at a hostage demonstration on Saturday evening, telling the crowds, “My son Nimrod is a soldier who was abducted from a burning tank. He is alive and he and all the hostages are crying out to us from the inferno, that we will save them now. All of them in one go.” 

The Cohen family had previously received a sign of life from returning hostages, who passed a message from Nimrod to the family. 

“I’m okay,” Nimrod told his family. “Don’t worry. I love you.” 

Yehuda told the Hebrew news site Walla that the family spoke with Yair Horn after his return. 

"We spoke with Yair Horn on Wednesday," Yehuda told Walla. "They were together for eight months in the tunnel.” 

“I know my son, he is strong and knows how to protect himself,” Nimrod's father said. “He will be back. We saw how they came out, and we can draw conclusions about him as well. He's not in chains, but we know that different teams were treated differently.” 

Cohen called for the Israeli government to continue the hostage-ceasefire agreement to bring back all the remaining hostages. 

“We have to finish it, that's the most important thing,” he said. “It doesn't matter what situation they are in – they have to be released. Not only because they are in chains, but because Israeli soldiers and civilians have been kidnapped – and it is the government's job to free them.”