In cruel taunt, Hamas releases pre-recorded videos of the six executed hostages

Hamas warns more captives will return ‘inside coffins’ as it publishes pre-recorded propaganda videos of the hostages hours after their families held emotional funerals across Israel.

Hamas has taunted the families of Israeli hostages, releasing pre-recorded videos of the six captives found executed at the weekend and threatening other hostages would return “inside coffins” if there was no ceasefire with Israel.

As grieving families buried their loved ones in emotional funerals across the country, Hamas published pre-recorded propaganda footage of the victims, warning the clips were a teaser to their “last messages.”

In one video, hostage Eden Yerushalmi says: “The bombing never stops … we are scared of dying here.”

In another video reminiscent of Islamic State propaganda recordings of captives filmed before their executions, Israeli-American hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin accuses Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of abandoning the captives to their deaths.

Releasing the videos on Telegram, the militant group also warned more hostages would be executed if Israeli troops attempted another rescue.

Hamas executed six Israeli hostages and is now sharing videos taken of the hostages before they were murdered.

This is yet another form of Hamas' psychological warfare.

We will not further traumatize the Israeli families, who are living through their worst nightmares, by… pic.twitter.com/XzwwuW70Mu

— Israel ישראל (@Israel) September 2, 2024

Hamas spokesman Abu Obeida threatened: “Netanyahu’s insistence on liberating the prisoners through military pressure instead of concluding a deal will mean that they will return to their families inside coffins.

“New instructions were issued to the mujahideen assigned to guard the prisoners regarding dealing with them if the occupation army approached their place of detention,” Mr Obeida, spokesman for the Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades, added.

Hours before the videos were released, Mr Goldberg-Polin’s mother Rachel farewelled him before thousands of mourners gathered in a hilltop cemetery in Jerusalem.

“OK, sweet boy, go now on your journey. I hope it is as good as the trips you dreamed about because finally, my sweet boy, finally, finally, finally, finally you are free,” Ms Goldberg-Polin said.

The family of murdered hostage Eden Yerushalmi has authorized the release of a portion of the sick terror video that Hamas published earlier today.

The Yerushalmi family released this statement: "Our Eden, we love you too and we miss you like crazy. You are forever in our… pic.twitter.com/GT88ym1Opw

— Aviva Klompas (@AvivaKlompas) September 2, 2024

Hersh was 23 when he was kidnapped from the Supernova music festival by Hamas on October 7. A video taken as he was put onto a truck and driven out of Israel showed his arm had been blown off by a grenade during the massacre.

At his funeral, Israeli President Isaac Herzog apologized to the murdered hostages for the state’s failure to bring them home alive.

“Beloved Hersh, with a torn and broken heart, I stand here today as the president of the State of Israel, bidding you farewell and asking for your forgiveness, from you, and from Carmel, from Eden, from Almog, from Alex, and Ori, and from all your loved ones,” he said.

“I apologize on behalf of the State of Israel, that we failed to protect you in the terrible disaster of October 7, that we failed to bring you home safely,” the president added. “Our heart, already broken, is shattered into pieces.”

Hersh’s body, along with those of five other hostages were recovered on Saturday afternoon local time by the Israeli military. Security officials believe Hamas executed the hostages over concerns that a captive rescued from a nearby tunnel under Rafah last week would divulge their location. Farhan al-Qadi, 52, was found alone in a tunnel a kilometre from where the bodies were found, according to IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari.

As the funerals ended, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he sought forgiveness for failing to save the six.

“I ask for your forgiveness for not bringing them back alive,” he said. “We were close but we didn’t succeed. Hamas will pay a very heavy price for this.”

However he said he wouldn’t back down from his insistence that Israeli troops remain along the border between Gaza and Egypt to prevent future wars with Hamas.

“These murderers executed six of our hostages, they shot them in the back of the head,” he said.

“I won’t surrender to this pressure,” he added. “And I’m telling [Hamas leader Yahya] Sinwar, forget it. It won’t happen.”

The threats come as Britain suspended some arms to Israel, warning they could be used in a serious breach of international humanitarian law.

Westminster suspended 30 of Britain’s 350 arms export licences, with Foreign Secretary David Lammy telling MPs there was a “clear risk” UK arms might be used to commit a “serious violation of international humanitarian law”.

The partial ban covered items “which could be used in the current conflict in Gaza”, including fighter aircraft, helicopters and drones, he said.

Mr Lammy also reiterated Britain’s support for Israel’s defence, stressing that the suspension would not have a “material impact on Israel’s security”.

Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant posted on X that he was “deeply disheartened” by London’s decision.

He said it “comes at a time when we fight a war on 7 different fronts” and “when we mourn 6 hostages who were executed in cold blood by Hamas inside tunnels in Gaza”.

Meanwhile US President Joe Biden issued some of his harshest criticism yet for Mr Netanyahu; asked by reporters if he thought Mr Netanyahu was doing enough on the issue, he replied: “No.”

In Washington, Mr Biden met US negotiators working alongside Qatar and Egypt to try to secure a truce deal that would free hostages in Gaza in return for Palestinian prisoners held in Israel.

A White House statement said he expressed “his devastation and outrage” at the killings of the six hostages.

Kamala Harris condemned the killings, saying “Hamas leaders will pay” but added it was “long past time for a ceasefire and hostage deal”.

Ahead of the meeting, Mr Biden had said negotiators were “very close” to a final proposal to be presented to Israel and Hamas.

Of 251 hostages seized on October 7, just eight have been rescued alive by Israeli forces, although scores were released during a one-week truce in November – the only one so far.

Israel named the killed hostages as US-Israeli Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Carmel Gat, Eden Yerushalmi, Almog Sarusi, Ori Danino and Russian-Israeli Alexander Lobanov.

On Monday, Jean-Marc Liling, a friend of Mr Goldberg-Polin’s family, told AFP he had been someone “who believed in coexistence with Palestinians”.