Captive Soldier Shaul Aaron: A Story of Birthday Messages, Captivity, and Familial Tensions
Watan-The Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Hamas movement, published on Wednesday a message in Arabic, Hebrew, and English on the occasion of the ninth birthday of “Shaul Aaron” in captivity. Shaul Aaron is the Israeli soldier held by the resistance for nine years.
It is worth noting that “Shaul Aaron” was captured during the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip in mid-2014. On this occasion, Al-Qassam also sent a message to the families of the new Israeli prisoners held by the resistance, exacerbating the crisis for Netanyahu.
“Happy Birthday in Captivity”
The illustrated message from Al-Qassam, broadcasted by the military media of the brigades, showed scenes from the funeral of Aaron’s father, pictures of his mother holding his photos, and messages written in three languages: Arabic, Hebrew, and English: “Shaul… Happy Birthday in Captivity,” “My life is no longer a life,” and “To the families of the prisoners, your suffering has not yet begun.”
The mentioned soldier was captured by the Al-Qassam Brigades, and the announcement was made by the leader of Al-Qassam and their spokesperson, Abu Ubaida, on the evening of July 20, 2014. He was the first soldier captured by Palestinian resistance since 2006, after Gilad Shalit.
“Shaul Aaron,” born on December 27, 1993, is an Israeli citizen who resided in the settlement of Boria in the Nazareth region in northern occupied Palestine.
His family, according to Hebrew media reports, indicates that the last contact with him was two days before his capture. He told his mother over the phone just before entering Gaza, “I will return safely from Gaza, raising the flag.” However, the course of his life was changed by the resistance, and his wish was not fulfilled as he became a captive in their hands.
The Israeli army later informed the family that he was missing when he admitted to the capture three days later, revealing the falsehood of his initial statements. This led the family to accuse the army of manipulating them.
Tension arose between the family and the Israeli army afterward when the family made a statement, stating that they consider their son to be alive and a captive of the Hamas movement, refusing to acknowledge the claim that he is dead.
On the occasion of the 23rd birthday of the Zionist soldier and captive Shaul Aaron, and at the end of the year 2016, the Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Hamas movement, broadcasted two promotional videos, suggesting that the Israeli soldier, who has been held captive by the brigades since 2014, is still alive.
The first video showed individuals dressed in Israeli military uniforms singing for Aaron, with one of them sitting in a wheelchair. The video stated, “Three years of Aaron in Hamas prison,” and it concluded with the phrase “A new year and the soldier Shaul away from his family” in both Arabic and Hebrew.
In the second video, broadcasted by Al-Jazeera, a person dressed in Israeli military attire is shown sitting bound in front of a table with a piece of candy on it, and a picture of Aaron is placed on his face. The video concludes with an image of Netanyahu (the Prime Minister) and the statement “The decision is in the hands of the Israeli government.
