Hamas released a propaganda video Wednesday that shows an injured Israeli American hostage, Hersh Goldberg-Polin.
The video came as a surprise, including to Goldberg-Polin's family.
Scripps News spoke with the family right after Goldberg-Polin was taken hostage.
They said they were desperately worried that he might not be alive because of a grenade injury they saw that he suffered during Hamas' Oct. 7 attack on a music festival in Israel.
The last thing they saw of him was him being loaded into a truck by Hamas.
Scripps News does not normally air propaganda videos — but Goldberg-Polin's family says they want it to be shown because they want to keep the pressure up on the Israeli government to secure the release of the remaining hostages. They have been among the most vocal in calling for action to see the remaining hostages released from Gaza.
Scripps News cannot confirm exactly when the video was recorded. In it, Goldberg-Polin references the 200-day mark since his capture.
His family also released a response.
"Seeing a video of Hersh today is overwhelming," father John Goldberg-Polin said. "We're relieved to see him alive, but we are also concerned about his health and well-being as well as that of all of the other hostages and all of those suffering in this region."
"We're here today with a plea to all of the leaders of the parties who have been negotiating to date, that includes Qatar, Egypt, the United States, Hamas and Israel," John Goldberg-Polin said. "Be brave. Lean in, seize this moment and get a deal done to reunite all of us with our loved ones and to end the suffering in this region."
There are thought to be 120 hostages remaining in Gaza, five of them American citizens.
Israel at War
