Hostage Daniella Gilboa
Families of hostages on Tuesday allowed the release of a Hamas psychological terror video posted in January showing soldiers Daniella Gilboa and Karina Ariyev, and Doron Steinbrecher - who are held captive in Gaza. "I was kidnapped on October 7 from the Nahal Oz base. I have been in Hamas captivity for 107 days, and I don't know when or if I will ever return home," Daniella Gilboa says in the video.
The Gilboa family cleared the video for release amid negotiations for a hostage deal, and concerns from some hostage families that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu might attempt to thwart it. "I am under constant bombardment 24 hours a day," said 19-year-old Daniella in the video from captivity. It's likely that at least some of what she says in the video was dictated by her captors.
"I am very, very afraid for my life. At one point, your bombings nearly killed me. Where were you on October 7 when I was kidnapped from my bed? Where are you now? Why do I, as a soldier who gave 100% of myself to the country, have to feel abandoned and discarded by you? Get a grip, dear government, and start doing your job properly to bring us all home while we are still alive."
In the video, which is believed to have been filmed close to the 107th day of the war, Daniella added: "I don't need any food, any money, any clothes, nothing. Just bring us home alive." She also sent a message to her family: "I miss you all very, very much and love you. Mom, Dad, Nuni, Roieko, I ask you to be strong and do everything you can to bring me home while I am still alive."
"I know this video is a psychological game, but we understand that her mental state is not good," Orly Gilboa told Ynet in an interview. "Then it was the 107th day; today, we are on the 277th day. We don't know her current condition; I imagine it is not good. As she says to the government in the video, I expect them to give 100% and remember that she is still there," she said.
"I want to tell her simply to keep being optimistic, that it will happen. That it will happen soon. That this time it is truly closer than ever, even though there have been previous times when I promised her it was close," the distraught mother said. "This time I really feel deep inside that it is close. We miss her; she should not lose hope, she should take care of herself and her friends. I hope very much that she is still with Karina and Doron together. This will end soon," she said.