Al-Qassam publishes video of Israeli prisoner before her death

Gaza (Quds News Network)- Today, Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, released a video of an Israeli prisoner who was killed, one of the six prisoners whose bodies were recovered by the Israeli military last Saturday from a tunnel in southern Gaza. The deceased prisoner, 24-year-old Eden Yerushalmi, revealed that she had been captured at Re’im settlement on October 7th.

In her final message, Yerushalmi pleaded with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government to do whatever it takes to secure her release through a prisoner exchange deal. She referenced the 2011 exchange deal brokered by Netanyahu with Hamas, which saw the release of over 1,000 Palestinian detainees in exchange for the Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit. Yerushalmi questioned, “They are asking for less than a quarter for each of us now, am I worth less?” expressing her fears of the Israeli ongoing bombardments and the threat of death.

Yerushalmi called for her return to her house and family and urged Israeli citizens to take to the streets to pressure Netanyahu into securing a deal that would bring the prisoners back home.

The release of this video comes in the wake of a lengthy speech by Netanyahu, in which he stated that he would not relinquish the Philadelphi Corridor under any circumstances and would not show flexibility on sensitive issues. This stance was in response to growing domestic and international pressure to negotiate a prisoner exchange deal.

Alongside the message, Al-Qassam released an image depicting a fighter holding a gun in front of an Israeli prisoner, with the caption in both Arabic and Hebrew reading: “Military pressure equals death and failure. A prisoner exchange equals freedom and life.” Just hours before, Al-Qassam had shown images of the six Israeli prisoners, promising to release their messages.

Yesterday, Al-Qassam broadcast a message to the Israeli public, stating that “Netanyahu chose the Philadelphi Corridor over the freedom of your prisoners,” indicating that while these prisoners were once alive, they are now a part of the past. The message stressed that Netanyahu is creating “dozens of Ron Arads,” referencing the missing Israeli airman believed to have been held by resistance fighters.

Back in April, Abu Ubaida, the spokesperson for the Al-Qassam Brigades, hinted that the “Ron Arad scenario is likely to repeat with the enemy’s prisoners in Gaza,” affirming that “military pressure will only strengthen our resolve to stand by our principles and protect our people’s rights without compromise.”