The al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, released Friday a video featuring captured Israeli soldier Matan Angrest , who called for advancing to the second phase of the prisoner exchange deal to secure his release alongside other Israeli captives.
In the video, Angrest emphasized that “the only way to bring us back is through a prisoner exchange and moving to the next phase.”
He expressed growing despair over the absence of any tangible efforts by the Israeli government and military to secure their release, stating that they had started to lose hope.
Addressing Israeli military leaders, Angrest asserted, “You will not succeed in bringing us back through military force; the only way is a prisoner exchange deal.”
He acknowledged hearing about the different stages of a potential deal but stressed that all captives want to return home alive. He described the difficult conditions they endure, stating, “There is no sunlight, and the winter cold is affecting us.”
Angrest urged those who had been released in previous exchanges to advocate for the remaining captives and called for them to be treated as soldiers.
He also appealed to US President Donald Trump to intervene, claiming that “he is the only one capable of influencing Netanyahu’s government.”
Furthermore, he urged Israeli settlers to take to the streets and demand the release of the captives, imploring them not to abandon their efforts.
