A day after Hamas said the health of an Israeli held captive had deteriorated, the Islamist rulers of Gaza published a video of Hisham al-Sayed, an Israeli Bedouin who wandered across the frontier into Gaza in 2014 and is believed to be held captive by the organization.
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Hamas showed a bearded al-Sayed receiving oxygen support while lying on a bed. The camera also showed his Israeli ID and a television screen showing the news from an economic conference in Qatar that took place between June 21-23. The video could not be authenticated as having been filmed recently.
The decision to publish the video could be part of Hamas' psychological warfare in the hopes that this would make Israel show flexibility in talks toward a new prisoner exchange deal. Apart from al-Sayed, Israel is seeking the return of the remains of IDF soldiers Hadar Goldin and Oron Shaul, who were killed in the 2014 Gaza war, as well as Avera Mengistu, an Israeli Jew who crossed into Gaza voluntarily.
On Monday, just after Hamas announced that an Israeli captive's health has declined, Israel dismissed the reports as a Hamas ploy.
In a statement, the Prime Minister's Office said: "Hamas is a cynical and criminal terrorist organization that is holding mentally ill civilians in violation of all conventions and international laws. Hamas is responsible for the condition of the civilian hostages.
"The State of Israel will continue its efforts, with Egyptian mediation, to return the hostages and the missing, with responsibility and determination."
A senior government official said the Hamas statements stemmed from its "frustration with Israeli policy that is making the organization less relevant. Israel sees Hamas as solely responsible for the civilians' condition," according to a Channel 12 News report.
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