The family of soldier Nimrod Cohen, who is being held hostage in Gaza, announced Monday afternoon that it would release, for the first time, footage of his abduction to Gaza on Oct. 7, 2023. In the video, Cohen is seen being led by Hamas gunmen into the Gaza Strip. The first images from the video, that is being released later this evening, have been made public.
In a statement, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum said: “This evening we will release new footage showing Nimrod being kidnapped and taken by Hamas terrorists into Gaza, where he has been held in tunnels for 689 days.”
Vicky Cohen, the mother of kidnapped soldier Nimrod Cohen, spoke in anguish Monday as the family released images from new footage of his abduction.
“The horror video we are releasing today has been going on for 689 days,” she said. “Every minute, every second is an eternity. What you see in the video is the nightmare of every mother in Israel. My child is helpless, taken and dragged cruelly into hell, and as his mother I can do nothing—only watch in total helplessness, against the cries of my son’s anguish.”
Ahead of the release of the full footage, she said: “The video being shown today takes me back to the trauma of Oct. 7. Until then I was a completely normal mother, and in one moment—when I was exposed to the video Hamas uploaded to social media—I was no longer the same person. A black screen fell over me and my family. Again now, as I watch the new video, the blood drains from my body, my breathing becomes heavy.”
A week after Hamas accepted the mediators’ proposal—while Israel has yet to respond—Cohen appealed to the government and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: “Step into my shoes, a mother who has not breathed for 689 days and nights. There is not a moment that I don’t hear my son screaming for his mother to save him. You have no right to prevent my child from coming home. You must ensure that the deal becomes a comprehensive agreement, defined in time, until my Nimrod returns to my arms.”
Ahead of Tuesday’s protest day, she called on the public to join demonstrations. “This time we will do it differently. This time we will not take to the streets after a deal was thwarted. This time we will be in the streets to make sure it is not thwarted again. Please stand with us in the coming actions as well. Together we will make sure no one blocks deals. Let’s show our elected leaders our strength together.”
Nimrod’s brother, Yotam, also addressed Israel’s leadership. “Netanyahu’s government doesn’t even bother to respond to Hamas’ positive answer, and every passing day condemns Nimrod to torture and death,” he said. “The agreement that will bring back Nimrod and the other hostages should have begun last week. Netanyahu’s government is already a week behind. Tomorrow, everyone must take to the streets, the intersections and the square.”
Last week, Cohen’s father, Yehuda, said the family had recently been shown video recordings captured by the Israeli military, including images of Nimrod in captivity. However, according to him, the army has refused to release the footage publicly.
“They told us they’re checking the possibility of publishing it. Weeks have gone by, and they’re still checking. It’s pathetic,” Yehuda Cohen said during a press conference with other hostage families in Tel Aviv, where they urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to move forward with a deal following Hamas’s acceptance of the mediators’ proposal.
“How long does it take to release a video of just a few seconds? As his father, I have a right to receive all the material about him, especially when it doesn’t endanger sources,” Cohen said. “Awareness is critical. It’s not just for me to sit in my living room and watch Nimrod—we need it for public consciousness.”
He added that the video he viewed was not recent but more than a year old. “You see him in the video saying his name and that he is from Rehovot. Something like: ‘It’s time to release us.’ Everyone recorded videos, and then they released them according to timing.”
Since Cohen’s abduction, Hamas has released only one piece of filmed proof of life, which was blurred. That video, published on March 1, showed the farewell between hostage Eitan Horn and his brother Yair, who was freed in the second hostage deal. Cohen’s family recognized him in that footage despite the blurring. “It’s easy to recognize Nimrod by his arm,” Yehuda Cohen said at the time. “He got that tattoo just days before he was kidnapped.”
Cohen was supposed to be discharged from the army earlier this month and return home to Rehovot to begin civilian life. “Today he enters permanent service—without ever choosing it,” his mother, Vicky Cohen, said painfully. “He was kidnapped after only 10 months in the army, just two months after basic training and qualification. Most of his service has been in captivity.”