Hamas shows sign of life from kidnapped 19-year-old IDF soldier Liri Albag in latest propaganda video

After 456 days in captivity, Hamas released a sign of life from 19-year-old IDF soldier Liri Albag, who was kidnapped by terrorists from her base in Nahal Oz during the invasion and massacre on Oct. 7, 2023.

Since then, Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad have released several videos and images of the hostages, using them in a campaign of psychological warfare and propaganda to increase domestic pressure on the Israeli government to secure a deal.

In the undated, 3:34-minute-long video, Albag, mostly likely reading from a script written by her captors, says she has been a captive in Gaza for 450 days, adding that she and the other hostages have been forgotten.

“I’m only 19 years old. I have my entire life in front of me, but now my entire life has been put on pause,” Albag says. She then turns to the Israeli government, blaming it and the IDF for her situation and demanding they act to bring about her release.

“The video published today tore our hearts to pieces,” Albag’s family said in a statement. Israeli media usually refrains from publishing pictures and video clips released by Hamas, unless the hostage families specifically approve it. After initially asking not to reproduce the video, the Albag family later agreed to publish stills from the video.

“This is not the same daughter and sister we know. She is in a bad state – her difficult mental state is evident. We saw our heroine Liri survive and beg for her life. She is several tens of kilometers from us and for 456 days we have not been able to bring her home,” the family stated.

“We appeal to the Prime Minister and the decision makers: it's time for you to make the decisions as if your children were there! Liri is alive and must come back alive! It depends only on you! You must not miss the present opportunity to return them. All of them.”

In another statement, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum called on Israeli and world leaders to “take courageous action and bring Liri and all the hostages home.”

“The sign of life from Liri is the harsh and undeniable proof of the urgency in bringing all the hostages home! Every day in Hamas's hell in Gaza poses an immediate risk of death to the living hostages and endangers the ability to recover the fallen for proper burial,” the Forum stated.

“Sixteen days remain until the ultimatum set by President-elect Trump. We must not lose this historic window of opportunity!”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog later called the parents of Liri, Shira and Eli Albag.

“The President sought to offer them strength and support after receiving the deeply upsetting video, which was also a sign of life after such an extended period,” Herzog’s office stated.

Netanyahu's office said he assured the Albag family that “Israel would continue to work relentlessly to bring Liri and all the hostages back home and that the efforts are continuing, including at the present.”

“The Prime Minister reiterated that whoever dares to harm our hostages – will pay the price.”

In recent months, the Albag family has sharply criticized the government for not securing a deal to release the hostages. The last sign of life from Liri was published in July but was dated to an earlier period of her captivity.

Hamas' video was timed to be released just before the weekly rallies and demonstrations on Saturday evening began across Israel.

In Jerusalem, hundreds marched toward Netanyahu’s residence to demand he agree to a hostage release deal. Many protesters accuse the prime minister of refusing to close a deal so as to protect the stability of his government coalition.

According to Walla News, four protesters were detained near the prime minister’s residence.