Al-Qassam Brigades releases video of slain Israeli hostage criticizing Netanyahu

The Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Palestinian group Hamas, released a video late Tuesday featuring an Israeli hostage after the Israeli army announced the recovery of his body along with those of five others from a tunnel in the southern Gaza Strip.

In the two-minute and 36-second video, 25-year-old Ori Danino criticized the failed rescue attempts by the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He warned that the Israeli military's ongoing intense bombardments of the area would lead to the deaths of all the hostages.

Danino said he “was captured on Oct. 7 (last year) at a music festival near Gaza and is being held under harsh conditions by Hamas with limited access to food, water and electricity.”

“Shelling and gunfire (by the Israeli military) never stops.”

Addressing the Israeli government and war cabinet, he said: “You are now trying to kill us one by one through failed rescue attempts and airstrikes.”

“You failed on Oct. 7, and you failed in your mission to protect us,” he added.

“Israelis must do everything to bring us home alive and execute this prisoner swap deal...Don't neglect us...We just want to go home,” he said.

“Get us out of here alive, because at this rate (of intense and indiscriminate Israeli airstrikes), no one will be left alive.”

On Sunday, the Israeli military announced the recovery of the bodies of six Israeli captives from a tunnel in the city of Rafah in southern Gaza, including Danino's.

The army accused Hamas of killing them, while Hamas said the army killed them through direct aerial bombardment.

Israel is holding at least 9,500 Palestinian prisoners in its jails and estimates that 101 Israeli hostages are being held in Gaza. Hamas has announced that dozens of these hostages have been killed in indiscriminate Israeli air strikes.

Since the discovery of the six captives' bodies, there has been growing criticism in Israel, blaming Netanyahu for their deaths and urging him to quickly reach a deal to exchange the remaining captives.

For months, security officials, the opposition and the families of the captives have accused Netanyahu of obstructing a deal with Hamas.

But far-right ministers including National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich have threatened to withdraw from the government and bring it down if a deal to end the war is reached.

The US, Qatar and Egypt have been trying for months to reach an agreement between Israel and Hamas to ensure a prisoner exchange and a cease-fire deal and allow humanitarian aid to enter Gaza. But mediation efforts have been stalled due to Netanyahu's refusal to meet Hamas's demands to stop the war.

Israel has continued its brutal offensive on Gaza following an attack on Oct. 7 by Hamas, despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire.

The onslaught has resulted in more than 40,800 Palestinian deaths, mostly women and children, and nearly 94,300 injuries, according to local health authorities.

An ongoing blockade of Gaza has led to severe shortages of food, clean water and medicine, leaving much of the region in ruins.

Israel faces accusations of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which has ordered a halt to military operations in Rafah, where more than 1 million Palestinians had sought refuge before the area was invaded on May 6.