Israeli captive says ceasefire 'only hope' in new al-Qassam video
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An Israeli soldier held as a captive in Gaza urges US President Donald Trump for a ceasefire deal as it is "the only hope".
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Captured Israeli soldier Metan Anglist during a video released by al-Qassam Brigades on March 7, 2025 (Al-Qassam Brigades Military Media)
The al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, released Friday a video featuring captured Israeli soldier Metan Anglist, who called for advancing to the second phase of the prisoner exchange deal to secure his release alongside other Israeli captives.
In the video, Anglist emphasized that "the only way to bring us back is through a prisoner exchange and moving to the next phase." He expressed growing despair over the absence of any tangible efforts by the Israeli government and military to secure their release, stating that they had started to lose hope.
Addressing Israeli military leaders, Anglist asserted, "You will not succeed in bringing us back through military force; the only way is a prisoner exchange deal."
He acknowledged hearing about the different stages of a potential deal but stressed that all captives want to return home alive. He described the difficult conditions they endure, stating, "There is no sunlight, and the winter cold is affecting us."
Anglist urged those who had been released in previous exchanges to advocate for the remaining captives and called for them to be treated as soldiers. He also appealed to US President Donald Trump to intervene, claiming that "he is the only one capable of influencing Netanyahu's government."
Furthermore, he urged Israeli settlers to take to the streets and demand the release of the captives, imploring them not to abandon their efforts.
Abu Obeida warns 'Israel'
The release of the video comes a day after al-Qassam Brigades' spokesperson, Abu Obeida, declared that Israeli threats of war would only bring failure to Tel Aviv and would not lead to the release of its captives.
In a video speech published on his Telegram on the occasion of the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan, Abu Obeida stated, "We are in a state of readiness and prepared for all possibilities, and the resumption of war will make us shatter what remains of the enemy's image."
He emphasized that "what the enemy could not achieve through war will not be obtained through threats and tricks," warning that any escalation of aggression against Palestinians would result in the death of several Israeli captives.
Addressing the Muslim community, Abu Obeida reminded the two billion Muslim" that the people of Gaza were facing "genocide, starvation, and attempts of displacement in full view of the world," asking, "What will you do to defend your dignity before the hand of the oppressors reaches you in your own homes?"
'Israel' might resume Gaza genocide
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed that "Israel" retains "the right at any moment from Day 42 to drop out of the negotiations and return to fighting if we are under the impression that the talks are pointless."
He said he agrees with US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, who stated that Hamas and "Israel" are too far apart to proceed to the second phase of negotiations, which, according to Netanyahu, jeopardizes the talks.
“There is a proposal in front of us. We are still in the agreement, we are not violating the agreement, but we are not returning immediately to war,” the Israeli premier indicated.
He further stated, “Who knows, we might need to,” adding that Witkoff offers a way to return all the captives from Gaza "in two releases."
Addressing Hamas directly, Netanyahu warned, “If you do not release our hostages, there will be consequences that you can’t even imagine.”
