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28-year old Sasha Troufanov has been held captive in Gaza since being abducted last October 7 during a Hamas attack that killed over 1,000 Israelis, according to the Jerusalem Post.
More than 200 Israelis were kidnapped and nearly 1,200 killed in the deadliest single terror attack ever on Israeli soil. Last week, Islamic Jihad militants launched dozens of rockets at southern Israel, drawing Israeli retaliation strikes.
In a new proof-of-life video Tuesday, captive Israeli Sasha Troufanov, an engineer at an Amazon unit seized by Palestinian Islamic Jihad last fall, appeared alive. Wearing a black, white and red polo shirt, Troufanov addressed the Israeli public and protesters, saying they would soon "hear the truth of what happened to me, as well as the other prisoners in Gaza." He asked people to "wait patiently."
Troufanov's father Vitali, a Russian immigrant to Israel, was killed in the October attacks when Hamas militants invaded their home. According to the Jerusalem Post, Troufanov's girlfriend Maya Cohen, said she witnessed her boyfriend "beaten bloody and thrown face-first into the ground" before being abducted. Troufanov's mother, grandmother and Cohen were subsequently released after six weeks of captivity as part of an earlier ceasefire agreement, but Troufanov remains held in Gaza over seven months later.
There has reportedly been frustration amongst Troufanov's Amazon coworkers over the company declining to publicly address his abduction. Employees in Israel and worldwide have wanted to organize displays of solidarity for Troufanov, including counting the number of days he has spent captive and making t-shirts. But Amazon management has frustrated these efforts by not issuing any statement or allowing employees to hang signs about Troufanov's plight.
The outlet also reported that "Hostages & Missing Families Forum" responded to the new video by calling on the Israeli government to strengthen their negotiation mandate in order to secure the release of Troufanov and other captives. Over 200 days since his abduction, Troufanov's fate remains uncertain as long as he is held prisoner by Palestinian militants in Gaza.
The video of Troufanov was released amidst rising tensions once again between Israel and Palestinian militant groups in Gaza. The recent rocket salvos threatened a tenuous Israel-Gaza ceasefire in place since last October. In 2011, Israel freed over 1,000 imprisoned Palestinians in exchange for release of captured soldier Gilad Shalit. With a new hardline government in power, Israel could seek a more aggressive approach to try and free Troufanov and other hostages.
Human rights groups globally have also called for the release of civilian hostages held by Hamas and other Gaza groups. But Israeli authorities have struggled to secure their freedom. Israel drew criticism from some quarters for that exchange, and seems more reluctant now to agree to similar deals. His family and co-workers continue to hope he'll be set free unharmed.
For now, Troufanov likely faces more months if not years detained in grim conditions in Gaza. But Gaza militant groups have a history of holding Israeli hostages long-term as bargaining chips in talks or prisoner swaps. Tragically, some long-detained hostages have died in captivity or their fate remains unknown. Unfortunately, the fates of some long held hostages remain unresolved or end in tragedy. Israeli authorities face difficult choices balancing national security concerns with humanitarian appeals to free captive civilians..
