Watan-The website Axios revealed, citing an American official, that the US administration received last Monday the recorded video of the Israeli prisoner held by Hamas, Hirsch Goldberge Polin, who also holds American citizenship.
The American official told Axios that Goldberge’s case was raised during phone calls between the Prime Minister, the Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, as well as senior officials in the White House.
He added that the Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister met with members of Goldberge’s family in his office in Doha a few months ago.
The family of the Israeli prisoner Goldberge, whose video was broadcasted by the Al-Qassam Brigades, appealed to all parties involved in the negotiations to work quickly to conclude a prisoner exchange deal.
According to Axios, Qatar’s provision of evidence of life for the prisoner is a significant political achievement and could help deflect criticisms of Qatar from Israel or members of Congress.
The website quoted an informed source as saying that one reason for Qatar’s statement that it is reassessing its mediation role is Doha’s feeling that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is politically whitewashing for internal reasons at the expense of Qatar.
Al-Qassam Brigades broadcast video of a prisoner
Al-Qassam Brigades had broadcasted a video of the Israeli prisoner Hirsch Goldberge Polin, in which they denounced what they described as the neglect of Netanyahu’s government of prisoners and demanded action to release him.
The prisoner Hirsch Goldberge Polin said in the recorded video, addressing the Israeli Prime Minister and members of his government: “Do what is expected of you and return us to our homes immediately, or is this too much for you?”
He added: “You should be ashamed to leave us for 200 days and all the efforts of the army have failed… You should be ashamed because all the deals offered to you have been rejected.”
“نتنياهو وحكومته يجب أن تخجلوا من أنفسكم”.. كتائب القسام تنشر فيديو لأسير إسرائيلي يندد بما وصفه بإهمال الحكومة للأسرى ويطالبها بالعمل للإفراج عنه#حرب_غزة #الأخبار pic.twitter.com/b0wHl83A2A
— قناة الجزيرة (@AJArabic) April 24, 2024
Polin, whose left hand appeared amputated, continued, saying that Israeli airstrikes on Gaza killed 70 Israeli prisoners, asking, “Don’t you want to end this nightmare?”
He addressed them, saying, “While you hold lunch parties with your families, think of us, the detainees in hell underground without food, water, or sunlight, and without the treatment I need for a long time.”
He called on them to leave their positions, saying, “It is time to hand over the keys, vacate the ministries, and sit in your homes.”
He concluded his speech by sending a message to his family, asking them to continue their activism to pressure their government, saying, “Don’t stop until we all return home safely.”