Middle East crisis: Hamas releases video of 19-year-old Israeli hostage, family says 'heart torn to pieces'

The hostage seen in the video was identified as 19-year-old Israeli soldier Liri Albag.

In the video, which is circulating on social media, Albag could be quoted as saying by the media that she has been in Hamas captivity for more than 450 days and claimed that her country's government has forgotten her and other hostages.

Who is Albag?

Albag, a surveillance soldier, was stationed at the Nahal Oz military base close to the Gaza border when thousands of Hamas-led terrorists poured into Israel from the Palestinian enclave, reported The Times of Israel.

She was abducted along with seven other surveillance soldiers.

One of them was recovered but another soldier was reportedly murdered in captivity.

Albag, Karina Ariev, Agam Berger, Naama Levy and Daniella Gilboa are still in the captivity of Hamas.

How did Albag's family react after seeing her in the video?

Albag's family members said their hearts were torn apart after seeing the video.

“The video released today tore our hearts apart,” her family said in a short statement as quoted by The Times of Israel.

“This is not the same daughter and sister that we know. She is in bad condition, and her difficult mental state is evident," the statement said.

“We saw our heroic Liri survive and beg for her life. She is several dozen kilometers from us, and for 456 days we have been unable to bring her home,” the family said in the statement.

They urged PM Benjamin Netanyahu to make decisions on the hostages.

“Liri is alive and must come back alive! It depends only on you,” the family said.

Meanwhile, Hamas group has approved the list of 34 Israeli hostages who would be returned as a part of the probable Gaza ceasefire deal, reported Sky News quoting an official from the Palestinian group.