An Israeli man was shocked and terrified to discover that his brother had been taken hostage by Hamas after watching a propaganda video online. Uriel Bohbot, 31, was horrified when a friend sent him a video showing his brother, Elkana, 34, among the captives at the Nova festival during Hamas’ incursion on Saturday. Uriel immediately recognized his brother with his blond hair and exclaimed, “Oh my god! They’ve got my brother.” The video allegedly depicted Uriel being forced into a truck heading back towards Gaza. Approximately 150 captives were taken by Hamas during their assault on Israel, prompting Israel to respond with airstrikes and a siege of the Gaza Strip. Elkana Bohbot, who owns an ice-cream shop in Tel Aviv, was seen alive and held captive in the video shared by Hamas. Uriel flew immediately to Jerusalem to be with his family after seeing the video. He explained that when they realized Hamas was attacking, they called Elkana, who assured them he was alright and was helping others to escape. Uriel believes his brother was caught because he wouldn’t abandon anyone. Despite the crisis, the video serves as proof that Elkana is alive. More than 260 people died at the festival in southern Israel after militants attacked with paragliders and armed vehicles. Hamas has taken approximately 150 people hostage, and footage shows some being taken back to Gaza on golf carts and trucks. The group has used the hostages as leverage, threatening to execute captives for every unannounced airstrike on civilian houses in Gaza. However, Hamas has expressed openness to truce discussions now that they have achieved their objectives. In a video released by Hamas’ military wing, a female hostage and two children were seen being released. Despite this, the conflict has not de-escalated, and there are concerns it could spill over into neighboring countries, such as Lebanon and Syria. Rocket sirens were heard in northern Israel following reports of an infiltration into Israeli airspace from Lebanon; however, Israel ruled out an aerial invasion, attributing it to a malfunction in the alert system. President Joe Biden warned Iran about getting involved in the conflict. Initial U.S. intelligence reports suggest that while Iran likely knew Hamas was planning operations against Israel, some Iranian leaders were surprised by the group’s attack from Gaza. President Biden discussed the hostage crisis in Israel but didn’t provide specific details. The conflict has resulted in shocking acts of violence, such as the decapitation of toddlers and babies in Kfar Aza, according to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s spokesperson. However, the IDF has not confirmed this claim. Hamas denied false reports about attacking children during their attacks. Israel continues to prepare for a ground invasion of Gaza and forms an emergency war cabinet. The IDF shows no sign of backing down from its bombardment of Gaza, despite peace mediation efforts by Qatar and the United States. The Israeli military claims that 1,200 people have been killed and over 2,700 injured, while Gaza’s Health Ministry reports that retaliatory bombings have killed 1,100 people and wounded over 5,000. The destruction has left around 250,000 people homeless, according to Hamas officials. Israel has already dropped hundreds of tons of bombs on Gaza, with an emphasis on damage rather than accuracy, according to IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari. In addition to bombings, Israel has imposed a complete siege on Gaza, cutting off essential resources. The situation at Gaza’s largest hospital is dire, with overcrowding and limited supplies, as the strikes continue.

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