Two Israeli hostages held in Gaza by Hamas appear in a harrowing new video, calling themselves “dead men walking” as they plead for help amid starvation and psychological collapse, reigniting public fury over stalled ceasefire talks.
At a Glance
- Hostages Maxim Herkin and Bar Kuperstein were seized on October 7, 2023.
- They appear malnourished, bound, and confined underground in the video.
- The footage was released by an Israeli hostages’ families group.
- At least 20 living hostages and 30 bodies remain held by Hamas.
- Ceasefire talks remain deadlocked amid demands for permanent guarantees.
Filmed in the Dark
The video, released by Israel’s Hostages and Missing Families Forum, shows Maxim Herkin and Bar Kuperstein emaciated, with sunken eyes and gaunt expressions, their arms tied in front of them, seated in a dark concrete cell they say lies about 30 meters underground. “We are forgotten,” one of them says. “We are dead men walking.”
The two men were abducted during the Nova music festival massacre on October 7, 2023, and are among the estimated 20 remaining live hostages held in Gaza, along with at least 30 Israeli corpses believed to be in Hamas custody. The Israeli military has not confirmed the current physical state of either hostage, but the footage was verified by multiple intelligence officials and family members.
Watch a report: Pleading For Deal, Families Publish Clip Of Hostages Saying “We’re Dead Men Walking”
Ceasefire on the Brink
The release of the footage comes amid diplomatic gridlock over a proposed 60-day ceasefire deal. Under current proposals, Hamas would release 10 live hostages and the bodies of 18 Israelis in exchange for a phased pause in Israeli airstrikes and ground operations. In return, Hamas is demanding formal U.S. and Israeli guarantees that any ceasefire will ultimately lead to a permanent cessation of hostilities—a condition Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government has refused to endorse.
Negotiations have reportedly stalled as Israeli leadership fears granting Hamas strategic legitimacy. Meanwhile, public pressure has intensified following reports that more than 450 Palestinians have been killed in recent weeks while queuing for humanitarian aid in Gaza.
Human Leverage
The video’s release is widely seen as a calculated move by Hamas to exploit global emotion ahead of any formal agreement. With Israel’s military preparing for expanded operations in central Gaza, critics argue the Netanyahu administration has deprioritized hostage recovery in favor of broad military objectives.
Herkin and Kuperstein’s footage serves as a grim reminder of the human price being paid in the protracted conflict. As the families of captives amplify public demands for an immediate exchange, global actors face renewed pressure to break the impasse—or risk further loss of life underground.
