Israeli Media Release Videos of Hostage with Bulgarian Citizenship Held by Hamas

The Israeli newspaper Haaretz has published two videos featuring Matan Angrest, an Israeli soldier with Bulgarian citizenship who has been held by Hamas since October 7, 2023. The release of the footage was authorized by his family, and the Israeli state news agency, BTA reported.

The family of Matan Angrest has made the difficult decision to release footage showing their son during the October 7th attack and his captivity found by the IDF. This rare and painful step comes after almost 18 months of their son being held hostage.

Statement from Anat… pic.twitter.com/xlw82WtCqr

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One of the videos captures the moment of Angrest's abduction during the Hamas-led attack, while the second shows him already in captivity. His mother, Anat Angrest, explained the difficult decision to release the videos, saying, "We are forced to publish footage of Matan being lynched, beaten by a mob." She said she had previously refrained from viewing the footage herself, leaving that responsibility to her husband Hagai, but ultimately felt compelled to act.

Matan Angrest was serving in the Israeli military and was kidnapped from his tank near the village of Nahal Oz, close to the Gaza border, during the initial assault on October 7. He sustained injuries during the fighting and was subsequently captured by Hamas. Two other soldiers, Captain Daniel Perez and Sergeant Itai Chen, who were with him at the time, were killed. Their remains are believed to be in Hamas custody.

While a still image from a video showing Angrest in captivity was released last month, this marks the first time the full video has been made public. The unedited 3.5-minute recording, reportedly obtained by the Israeli army in July 2023, confirms that Angrest was alive at the time and visibly wounded.