Hamas on Saturday released a new video showing Israeli hostage Maxim Herkin, offering another sign of life more than 575 days after his abduction during the October 7, 2023, attacks.
The video was made public by the terrorist group but will only be released in full or in part with the family’s consent, according to the Hostages and Missing Families Forum.
Last month, Hamas released a previous video showing Herkin alongside fellow hostage Bar Kupershtein. That marked the first visual confirmation of their status in captivity. Prior to that release, the group had issued a brief preview clip in which Herkin’s family confirmed hearing his voice—his first sign of life since the attack.
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In February, Russian news agency TASS reported that Hamas had told Moscow it would consider a Russian request to release Herkin, who has family members holding Russian citizenship.
About two weeks earlier, senior Hamas official Mousa Abu Marzouk had visited Moscow amid negotiations over a potential hostage deal. At the time, he said that Herkin’s release would be prioritized in the second phase of talks—negotiations that ultimately collapsed with the breakdown of a ceasefire.
In Gaza, 59 hostages are still being held by Hamas, according to Israeli officials. Of those, 24 are believed to be alive.