The Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) terrorist group on Thursday released a second clip of a hostage taken on October 7, two days after issuing another video featuring the young man.
In the clip, he says he is fine and healthy despite Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip. He also accuses the Israeli government of not wanting to pay the price required to bring the hostages back alive.
He called on people in Israel to demonstrate against the government and in support of a deal to release the remaining hostages and an implement a ceasefire. He said that he wants to return home to his parents and girlfriend.
It was unclear under what circumstances the video was made and if he spoke under duress. It was also unknown exactly when the video was made. But the abductee mentions the closure of the Qatari broadcaster Al Jazeera in Israel at the beginning of May, as ordered by the Israeli government.
According to Israeli media, the 28-year-old was taken from the Nir Oz kibbutz together with his mother, grandmother and girlfriend. The three women were released at the end of November as part of a deal between the Israeli government and Hamas. His father was killed in the massacres on October 7.
The PIJ and Hamas have shown footage of the people kidnapped from Israel on several occasions. Israeli officials denounce the videos as psychological terror against the relatives.
Situation at Rafah border crossing
Israel and Egypt have reached an agreement on the reopening of the Rafah border crossing for the transport of humanitarian aid into Gaza, Israel's Kan broadcaster reported on Thursday evening.
Israeli troops seized the Rafah crossing on the Gaza side three weeks ago. Aid flowing in from the Egyptian side has been blocked since.
According to Kan, Israel agreed to fulfil an Egyptian condition for the reopening and to withdraw its troops from the border crossing.
Palestinians who have no links to Hamas or other terrorist groups could therefore take control in future. It was not reported when exactly the border crossing could be reopened.
Violence in the West Bank
One person was killed and several others injured during Israeli army operations in the West Bank on Thursday, Palestinian authorities said.
A man was shot in the chest in Ramallah and died, according to the Ministry of Health in Ramallah, while four other Palestinians were injured in confrontations during the Israeli raid, one of them seriously.
According to Palestinian side, the army had sought to arrest a student. The reason was initially unclear. Upon enquiry, Israel's military said it was investigating the reports.
Several people were also injured in a refugee neighbourhood in Jenin on Thursday when the Israeli army entered. When asked, the army said it was also investigating these reports.
According to the Ministry of Health in the West Bank, six people were taken to hospital. Jenin is considered a stronghold of militant Palestinians and a site of frequent Israeli military operations.
Earlier, two 20-year-old Israeli soldiers were killed in a car attack in the northern West Bank.
They had been rammed by a suspected Palestinian driver near the city of Nablus the previous evening, the army said.
Cruise missile attack on Israel
The Israeli army said Thursday morning it repelled a cruise missile attacking Israel from the east.
A siren had sounded earlier in the Golan Heights due to "a hostile aircraft infiltration."
A missile from the northern neighbouring country of Lebanon was also intercepted by the missile defence system, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said.
There were no casualties or material damage in either incident, IDF said.
None of the members of the so-called Axis of Resistance of Israel's arch-enemy Iran initially claimed responsibility for the cruise missile attack.