OAN Staff Blake Wolf
3:10 PM – Tuesday, August 5, 2025
The family of Israeli hostage Rom Braslavski revealed on Sunday that they have permitted the release of a propaganda video filmed recently by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad — depicting Braslavski in an emaciated state.
The Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) warned that the 22-year-old Israeli is on the “verge of death.”
The PIJ and Hamas often cooperate, although they are separate Islamist terrorist organizations with distinct leadership and ideologies. Nevertheless, both Hamas and PIJ are Palestinian groups primarily focused on resistance against Israel. They share a common goal of opposing Israeli occupation, which often brings them into alignment on military operations or messaging.
Meanwhile, in the footage, Braslavski can be seen lying on a mattress. At one point, he looks directly into the camera and states that he is “suffering with pain that doesn’t look good.”
“I don’t have any more food or water. Before they would give me a little bit, today there is nothing,” he stated. “Only three pieces of falafel, that’s what I ate today. Yesterday I barely ate a plate of rice. Bring in food, a liter of water. I am on the verge of death.”
In the video, Braslavski also urges the Israeli government to end the war in Gaza—a message consistent with the rhetoric featured in other hostage videos released by Hamas and its affiliates.
“I can’t sleep, I can’t live, you have to stop what you’re doing here. Why are you doing this to us? Bring in food. I am surviving on less than a liter of water. Just give us food, if not for the Gaza Strip, then for the hostages.”
Braslavski’s mother, Tami Braslavski, told Israeli media that she has not been able to function or live normally since the release of the footage.
“My heart is shattered, and my mind is consumed all day with thoughts and overwhelming worry for Rom,” she stated. “I tried to suppress the reality, but when I watched the video, reality hit me. When you hear him saying these things out loud, it becomes truth despite how difficult it is to believe.”
“Rom has become so emaciated that his body can barely support itself. Every bone in his body aches. He can’t sit, lie down, or stand because he’s so painfully thin — nothing but skin and bones,” Tami Braslavski continued. “Rom’s vision is failing, and he needs glasses, which he doesn’t have there. When I look into Rom’s eyes, I see tears streaming down his face, and I cry with him.”
Braslavski’s father, Ofir, stated: “What can I say? He’s dying. You’re watching your son dying before your eyes and there’s nothing you can do.”
“It’s not just hunger… they’re torturing him… there’s no time left… he’ll die soon,” he continued.
Ofir further explained that he recently spoke directly with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regarding his son’s captivity. During the conversation, he reportedly urged the Israeli leader to prioritize a deal to secure the release of the remaining hostages, including Rom, whose deteriorating condition is evident from the newly released video.
“I told him, he’s dying and… to stop everything… and give [the Islamist terrorists] what they want, to get the hostages out,” he said, adding that Netanyahu told him he was doing everything he could, but “I don’t buy it… The fact is that there’s no progress.”
Braslavski was abducted at the Nova Music Festival on October 7, 2023, by Hamas terrorists — and he is among the 20 hostages still believed to be alive in Gaza.
It is understood that Hamas did not hold all hostages themselves, and that some were transferred to PIJ, smaller militant factions, or even families affiliated with armed groups. Groups like PIJ may be given hostages to produce propaganda, raise their own profiles, or pressure Israel separately from Hamas. The released video of Rom Braslavski could reflect an internal strategy within Gaza’s militant networks, or a division of labor, where PIJ handles media or messaging for certain abductees.
Meanwhile, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum has continuously been pressuring Netanyahu’s right-wing government to continue engaging in negotiations — despite peace talks struggling to gain any momentum from Hamas’ end.
The Forum released a statement after reports began to surface from Israeli media claiming that Netanyahu is pushing forward with a plan to occupy all of Gaza, which would immediately endanger the lives of the remaining hostages, as Hamas has repeatedly indicated that they would be executed if IDF forces attempt to extract them.
“For 22 months, we’ve been sold the illusion that military pressure would bring the hostages home,” the Hostages and Missing Families Forum stated on Sunday. “The expansion of the war endangers hostages who are already facing immediate death.”
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