Videos show 6 Israeli hostages celebrating Hanukkah in Gaza tunnel months before they were killed

By Dana Karni, Tal Shalev, Oren Liebermann, CNN

(CNN) — Newly released videos show six Israeli hostages celebrating Hanukkah in a tunnel in Gaza months before they were killed by Hamas in August 2024.

Two of the clips show the hostages gingerly lighting makeshift candles on a menorah made of disposable cups. The hostages – Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Carmel Gat, Eden Yerushalmi, Almog Sarusi, Ori Danino, and Alex Lobanov – say the Jewish blessings before lighting the candles in what would have been early-December 2023.

In a video that appears to be from the second night of the holiday, Sarusi smiles at the camera and says, “Now it’s the holiday of Hanukkah. Happy holiday to us and to all the people of Israel. We should celebrate every year and be happy and joyous, and with the help of this holiday’s miracles, we’ll get home with a great miracle, and return to a normal and happy life, and be happy – all of us.”

The six hostages in the videos were killed as Israeli forces drew closer to their position, according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), which said at the time that they were “brutally murdered by Hamas terrorists, a short while before we reached them.”

The incident is widely considered one of the most painful moments of the war for Israelis and sparked fresh outrage at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for failing to secure a hostage deal. Three of the six hostages were expected to be released in the first phase of an eventual ceasefire agreement.

The videos, released by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum on Thursday, provide a glimpse into the life of the hostages during their captivity. All of the videos, which were first aired in full by Channel 12’s UVDA, are watermarked “From materials captured by the IDF.”

Throughout the war, Hamas had released propaganda videos showing Israeli hostages pleading with the Israeli government or US President Donald Trump to secure their release. But these videos and still images, which the forum says were filmed by Hamas, show part of the hostages’ time in the tunnels under Gaza.

In two short clips, some of the hostages can be seen playing cards or chess while sitting on mats on the floor. In another, a member of Hamas sets some fruit on the floor between the group.

One video shows the hostages counting down on New Year’s Eve. As they reach zero, they stand up for a group hug as they say “Happy New Year” to each other. The hostages appear relaxed in the clip as they look into the camera and share their hopes for release.

“Happy New year to everyone, all of the families, all of the people of Israel,” says Yerushalmi. “We’re very much waiting to come home.”

Goldberg-Polin, an Israeli-American dual citizen, waves at the camera as he says, “We’re here, healthy, alive – they’re taking care of us, we’re ok. We want to return home.” His left arm, partially blown off in a grenade attack on October 7, 2023, is visible in the video.

In a statement accompanying the release of the videos, the forum said, “Hamas filmed these videos as propaganda, but the humanity of the beautiful six shines through this footage. The entire world must see our loved ones in these moments, their unity, strength, and humanity even in the darkest times.”

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