Israeli captive Alexander Turbanov said the Islamic Jihad fighters “saved my life several times to keep me from dying.”
A Palestinian Resistance group released a video of an Israeli captive in Gaza wherein he warned the Israeli public that blocking food and water from entering the enclave, makes “life harder” not only for the Palestinians but for the captives too.
“I want to remind the citizens of the state of Israel: When you eat or drink, remember us, the captives. We do not have the opportunity to enjoy the food and water you consume,” the captive who identified himself as Alexander Turbanov, aged 28, said.
“I urge you to think of us whenever you close the border crossings to put pressure on the citizens inside Gaza. Remember that as you make life harder for them, you also make it harder for us,” he added in the video released by the Saraya Al-Quds Brigades, the military wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) movement.
Lack of Basic Necessities
Turbanov said that after a year of lacking basic necessities such as food, drink and electricity, “now, we also lack basic necessities like soap and shampoo. I have skin problems I didn’t have before, due to this situation.”
He further warned that his life was “in danger” because of the Israeli military’s assault on the enclave.
Al-Quds Brigades, the military wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, released a video message on Wednesday titled “Message 01” from one of the Israeli captives held in Gaza, urging the Israeli public not to forget him and calling for pressure on the Israeli government to secure… pic.twitter.com/7WJGD0cZuu
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) November 13, 2024
“An entire year of war. An entire year where my life is in danger. My life is in danger because of military operations which are supposed to liberate us,” Turbanov said.
The captive said the Islamic Jihad fighters “saved my life several times to keep me from dying.”
“Some of them were wounded, and others lost their lives while trying to protect me,” he added.
‘Come to Fear the Army’
“Citizens of Israel, I want to tell you that my life is in daily danger. The military operations that Netanyahu has chosen for you to liberate me are the ones that will eventually lead to my death. I can tell you that I have come to fear the army. I am truly afraid of the moment when the army might reach me, or the moment when they will bomb the place where I am,” Turbanov continued.
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He also said “quite a few captives have been killed during this war. Or actually, many have. A very few number have been freed through military operations. The only good thing that they have done for the captives is the first ceasefire.”
Turbanov expressed concern that the captives will be forgotten.
“After a year of war in Gaza, the government has now shifted to Lebanon so we can be forgotten. After that, they will initiate a war against Iran. All of this so we can be very deeply buried inside earth, our cases closed, and we become entirely forgotten,” he said.
‘Start Mass Strikes’
Saying that he felt it was time to “escalate the protests,” Turbanov said “Please, do not forget us. Please go out and protest. I want to thank you for the weekly protests that you attend every Saturday night.”
“I want to tell you that for a year, you have been trying and protesting and no one in the government is listening to you. I believe it has become the time to escalate the protests. I urge you to go out and close the streets for a period of time. Start mass strikes for a period of time,” he urged.
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Turbanov said he wanted to “return home safe and sound” but that “this can only be achieved through putting pressure on the government.”
Israel estimates that over 100 captives are still held by Palestinian resistance groups in Gaza since October 7, 2023.
Mediation efforts led by the US, Egypt, and Qatar have so far failed to achieve a Gaza cease-fire and hostage swap deal. Hamas has said the conflict will only end when Israel stops its military campaign in the blockaded enclave.
(PC, Anadolu)
