The family of Rom Braslavski, an Israeli hostage held in Gaza by Islamic Jihad, released new excerpts Tuesday evening from a video published last week by his captors.
“I’ve been held for over a year and a half—a year and a half of suffering and hell, every single day,” Braslavski says in the video, which appears to be part of a psychological terror campaign orchestrated by his captors. “I have no life, no water, no medicine. I’ll die, and they’ll throw me in a pit of sand.”
Video of hostage Rom Braslavski
Sharing the clip on Instagram, his family wrote: “This is Rom, from captivity. He’s not just crying out—he’s begging for us to save him. Share it. Raise the alarm. Don’t let him stay there.”
In the video, Braslavski identifies himself as a 21-year-old IDF soldier from Jerusalem, held by Islamic Jihad in Gaza. He describes horrific physical and mental conditions: open wounds, constant pain, dehydration, starvation and untreated illnesses.
“My entire body is covered in red sores,” he says. “There’s no food, no water. I’m sick half the time. My mental and physical condition is beyond broken.”
He adds: “There’s no family here. My mother sits at home torn apart, crying around the clock. My October 7 never ended—it continues every day. There’s no light, no sun, no air. I have nothing left. My life has turned into complete darkness.”
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Last Wednesday, footage of Braslavski emerged for the first time—558 days after he was abducted from the Nova music festival, where he was working as a security guard. The family later shared a short segment in which Rom pleads: “I’m in pain all day. I don’t know what this illness is. Enough! Please, Mr. Prime Minister, get me out of here. Trump—where are you? Where are your promises? Didn’t you say you’d secure a deal to free everyone?”
Braslavski's heroism during the attack on October 7 has been widely acknowledged, with witnesses recounting how he helped others escape before being captured. His brother Amit posted several images from the newly released footage, while their mother, Tami, told Ynet in anguish: “It’s horrifying. A disgrace to the State of Israel. That I have to see this on Telegram like everyone else? No call from Nitzan Alon, not from Gal Hirsch, not from Bibi—no one has picked up the phone.”
Meanwhile, the IDF spokesperson confirmed that Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir met with families of hostages on Tuesday. “The chief of staff reaffirmed that the return of all hostages remains the IDF’s top priority, and all of its missions are viewed through that lens,” the statement said.