An Israeli-American hostage, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, has criticized the Israeli government and urged his family to stay strong in a video released by Hamas on Wednesday. The video shows Goldberg-Polin with cropped short hair, providing the first proof that he survived injuries sustained during the militant group's October 7 attacks.
In the video, Goldberg-Polin criticizes the Israeli government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, echoing sentiments expressed by other Israeli hostages in Hamas propaganda videos. Given that he has been held captive in Gaza for six months, it is highly likely that he is speaking under duress.
