Hostage seen in new video released by Palestinian Islamic Jihad
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The Palestinian Islamic Jihad militant group released a video that appeared to show Israeli hostage Alexander Trufanov, 28, who was kidnapped by militants on Oct. 7.
Similar videos have been released by militant groups in Gaza. Israel has dismissed them as psychological warfare.
In a video released by the family, Trufanov’s mother said it made her happy to see her son, but “it was heartbreaking” that he had been a hostage for so long.
‼️The Islamic Jihad published a video showing one of the hostages, Alexander (Sasha) Trufanov, in the #Gaza Strip. The video is not dated and has no further information than the transcript below:
“Title of the video: the government doesn’t want to pay the price.
Efforts to achieve the release of more than 120 hostages abducted during Hamas’ Oct. 7 assault on southern Israel within the framework of a ceasefire deal have so far fallen short.
Both sides have blamed the other for the deadlock. Israel has said it cannot accept Hamas’ demand to end the war, while the Palestinians want Palestinian prisoners to be released by Israel.
“The proof of life from Alexsander (Sasha) Trufanov is additional evidence that the Israeli government must give a significant mandate to the negotiating team,” said a statement from the Hostages Families Forum, which represents the families of the hostages.
Trufanov was kidnapped on October 7 from Kibbutz Nir Oz along with his mother, girlfriend, and grandmother Irena Tati — all of whom were released in a hostage deal in late November. His father, Vitaly Trufanov, was murdered in the Hamas onslaught.
The four Trufanov family members, who immigrated from Russia 25 years ago, have no other relatives in Israel.
Yelena Trufanov was one of three women who appeared in a Hamas propaganda clip that was released on October 30.
Yelena, 50, and her mother Irena Tati, 73, were released by Hamas on November 29 at the request of Russian President Vladimir Putin. The move came during a week-long negotiated lull in the fighting that included the release of 105 hostages in exchange for 240 Palestinian security prisoners Israel had jailed as well as an increase in humanitarian aid to Gaza.
Recent indirect talks between Israel and Hamas in Cairo over a deal to temporarily halt the fighting in Gaza and free remaining hostages broke up with no discernible progress.
