Video showing bloodied Israeli female soldiers captured by Hamas released

The three-minute video of five young female Israeli soldiers being taken by Hamas from their base on 7 October is harrowing and extremely upsetting to watch.

The soldiers are Liri Albag, Karina Ariev, Agam Berger, Daniela Gilboa and Naama Levy.

They all worked at the Nahal Oz observation base, monitoring activity on the Gaza border.

The video, which has been edited in places, was filmed around 9am on the Saturday.

It starts with the five soldiers, unarmed and helpless, standing facing the wall as their hands are tied behind their backs.

Some of them have bloody faces, they all look shocked and frightened.

“You dogs, we will step on you,” one Hamas fighter can be heard saying.

“I have friends in Palestine,” one of the girls pleads. She’s ordered to stay quiet.

They are made to sit down and threatened with being shot.

At this point, another of the soldiers asks to call her friend in Gaza, presumably in a desperate attempt to convince the attackers not to harm them.

There appear to be more than 10 Hamas fighters, all heavily armed and with bullet proof vests on.

Some have green Hamas bandanas around their heads. They appear relaxed, at one point stopping to pray.

It exposes the complete failure of Israel to foresee and prevent the attacks.

Finally, the video cuts to the female soldiers being hurried out of the building and put into one of their own khaki army jeeps.

One is carried, another hops on an injured leg.

There is the sound of heavy gunfire as Israeli forces battle Hamas nearby.

Many Israeli soldiers were killed in the fighting there that day.

The video was put together from body cameras worn by the Hamas attackers that day and released by The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, to put pressure on the Israeli government.

The video, the group said, “is a damning testament to the nation’s failure to bring home the hostages”.

The families have asked the video be broadcast “until somebody wakes up”.

Who are the teenagers in the video?

Liri Albag

Liri Albag, who is 18, is described by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum as having a “heart of gold”.

Her life “revolves around music and the arts”, they added.

Karina Ariev

Karina Ariev is 19 and “loves the field of cosmetics, makeup and beauty”. Her ambition, the group says, is to make a career in this industry.

Her mother told reporters in October she spoke to them on the morning of the attack, saying she “screamed and said she loves us very much”.

“She told us to continue our lives,” she added.

Agam Berger

Agam Berger, 19, volunteers with people who have special needs and with children who have learning difficulties.

Her father told the Associated Press in March one of his three daughters has not gone to school since 7 October, while one of his young daughters has stopped eating.

His wife, an engineer, does not go to work and he tries to avoid the news to save himself the daily roller coaster.

Daniela Gilboa

Daniela Gilboa is 19.

Her mother, Orly Gilboa told Reuters the girls “suffer there every minute, every second”.

“So please, please do whatever you can to bring them home,” she added.

Naama Levy

Naama Levy, 19, is described by her family as strong, according to the Times of Israel.

She’s a triathlete, used to working hard in training and pushing past obstacles – which are traits her family hopes are helping her withstand captivity.

She’s also the great-granddaughter of Holocaust survivors, the paper adds, and took part in the Hands of Peace project in the US, which worked for peace between Israel and the Palestinians until it shut in March.

Ceasefire talks have all but broken down since Israel and Hamas couldn’t agree a deal a few weeks ago.

Last night, in Tel Aviv, the Israeli war cabinet ordered the negotiating team to restart talks, reportedly with a fresh mandate.

Egyptian mediators are now said to be exploring options, although Cairo threatened to pull out of talks earlier in the week over a disagreement with Israel.

Who are the teenagers in the video?

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