PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES: The armed wing of Hamas said in a video on Saturday that an Israeli-British hostage held captive in Gaza since the October 7 attack had died of injuries following Israeli airstrikes.
Earlier on Saturday, the Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades released an 11-second clip showing captured Nadav Popplewell alive and identifying himself.
The Campaign of the Forum of Hostages and Missing Families identified him in a statement.
In the video, the footage was overlaid with text in Arabic and Hebrew that read: “Time is running out. Your government is lying.”
The hostage in the clip had a black eye but showed no other visible signs of injury.
Wearing a white T-shirt and appearing to speak under duress, he introduced himself as Popplewell, 51, from Kibbutz Nirim in southern Israel.
Later on Saturday, Hamas released what appeared to be the full version of the video from which the previous clip was taken.
In it, Hamas claimed that Popplewell died on Saturday from his earlier injuries.
“Nadav Popplewell, a British citizen, died today after being seriously injured a month ago (due to Zionist air strikes),” a superimposed text in English said in the video below a picture of the hostage shown in a white photo frame.
The spokesman of the Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades, Abu Obeida, said in a separate statement that his health deteriorated because he did not receive intensive medical care because the enemy has destroyed the Gaza Strip’s hospitals.
The Israeli military has not commented on the video, and the media has also been unable to independently verify its authenticity.
Popplewell was abducted from his home during a Hamas attack on October 7, along with his mother Hanna Peri, who was released during a week-long ceasefire in November – the only break so far in more than seven months of war.
The older brother of Popplewell was killed in the attack.
The video, posted Saturday on the Telegram channel of Hamas’ armed wing, was the third time in less than a month that the group has released footage of captives being held in Gaza.
Hamas on April 27 released a video showing two hostages alive – Keith Siegel and Omri Miran.
Three days earlier, it broadcast another video showing the live hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polina.
The videos come amid mounting domestic pressure on the Israeli government to secure the release of the hostages.
Meanwhile, hundreds of protesters rallied in the commercial city of Tel Aviv and in Jerusalem, calling for a deal to release the prisoners.
Hamas and Israel have so far failed to reach an agreement despite repeated rounds of indirect negotiations.
Hamas had abducted some 250 people in the Gaza Strip on October 7 as they attacked southern Israel.
Israeli officials believe 128 of them are still held captive in the Palestinian territory, including at least 36 who are dead.
