New Footage of Hostage Matan Zangauker From Last Year in Hamas Captivity: 'Speak Up'

New Footage of Hostage Matan Zangauker From Last Year in Hamas Captivity: 'Make Your Voices Heard'

A new video has surfaced showing Matan Zangauker, a hostage held by Hamas, from January 2024. The footage was recently recovered by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) in Gaza and shared by his mother, Einav Zangauker. In the video, Matan appears with a shaved head and speaks directly to his sisters and his partner, Natali, who was kidnapped with him and later released after 50 days.

Matan addresses his loved ones with emotional words, saying, “Tatu (Natali), Shani, Ilana, I miss you, and with God's help, we'll see each other soon.” He then urges his relatives and friends to "go out and make your voices heard the way only you know how." This call to action highlights the ongoing efforts by families of hostages to raise awareness and push for their loved ones' release.

Recent weeks have seen several families receive footage of their kidnapped loved ones, dating back to the start of the war. This comes after the recovery of significant Hamas materials, according to reports. The videos serve as a painful reminder of the ongoing crisis and the suffering endured by those held captive.

Einav Zangauker spoke at Tel Aviv’s Hostage Square following the release of the video. She described the emotional impact of watching her son’s final gaze in the video, which haunts her at night. “I imagine him looking me in the eye. And it hurts me, it burns my soul from longing,” she said. She expressed frustration with the Israeli government, arguing that it has not made a real effort toward an inclusive deal or an end to the war. “They turned the most justified war into a false one. Ministers took pride in torpedoing deals,” she added.

Zangauker was kidnapped along with his girlfriend, Ilana Gritzewsky, who was released in November as part of a deal. Their home in Kibbutz Nir Oz was among the first targeted by Hamas terrorists. The couple was working in a medicinal cannabis greenhouse when they were abducted. They emerged from a safe room when they heard approaching terrorists and were separated, leading to their capture.

Earlier on Sunday, Einav Zangauker responded sharply to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s accusations against protesters calling for the release of hostages. “Netanyahu's toxic and detached statement only proves how much the protests scare him,” she wrote on X. “The protesters are the counterweight to [ministers Bezalel] Smotrich and [Itamar] Ben-Gvir. I call on everyone – get to the streets!”

Later in Tel Aviv’s Hostage Square, demonstrators held a protest wedding with Ilana Gritzewsky, who wore a wedding dress and carried a picture of Matan. Einav Zangauker stood beside her, emphasizing the community’s support for the cause.

During Saturday’s protests, Zangauker reiterated her objection to the government’s plan to occupy the Gaza Strip. “If we don't stop the decision to occupy the Strip, we will wake up to announcements for the deaths of 20 hostages,” she warned. She emphasized the power of public pressure, stating, “The government is afraid of it.”

In June, Hamas released a new photo of Zangauker, showing him with an IV pole. The image came after reports of heavy military activity in the area where he is being held. Hamas claimed that IDF forces surrounded the location and threatened to kill Matan if a rescue attempt occurred.

In May, following the return of American-Israeli hostage Edan Alexander to Israel, it was revealed that he had been in Hamas tunnels during Israeli strikes and survived multiple collapses. The defense establishment informed Zangauker’s family in May that he had been held in cages, restrained, and subjected to interrogation and torture. Over his more than 17 months as a hostage, he was sometimes held with other captives who were later released, including Alexander and Abera Mengistu.

According to information obtained by the family, Zangauker received mainly dry bread and rice to eat, along with undrinkable, brackish water. In December, Hamas released a video where Matan criticized Prime Minister Netanyahu’s declaration of offering $5 million and free passage out of Gaza for returning hostages. “I am very disappointed; I am now confident that you don’t know your enemies or their intentions,” he said. “This is your and your government’s failure on October 7.” He urged the Israeli public to demonstrate outside Netanyahu’s home, saying, “Don’t let him sleep, not even for a moment. We are suffering. He should be suffering like we are – he and his family.”