The Hamas Islamist organization released another propaganda video on Saturday of hostage Maxim Herkin, who has been held in the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7, 2023.
The footage is the second sign of life from Herkin, after a first propaganda video sounding the voice of the abductee was released last month. His family requested not to publish any footage or photos from the video.
Herkin was kidnapped from the Supernova music festival near Kibbutz Re’im during the Hamas-led onslaught on Oct. 7, as thousands of terrorists invaded the Jewish state and slaughtered roughly 1,200 people.
His family said it was Maxim’s first trance festival.
Herkin, 36, a dual Israeli-Russian citizen, is from Tirat Carmel, south of Haifa, and has a 3-year-old daughter.
He is the son of a single mother, has an 11-year-old brother, and acts as the family’s father figure.
Maxim’s friends pleaded with him to attend the Supernova party near Gaza, and he agreed on the spur of the moment. His plan was to stay for only a few hours. After the first barrage of Gazan rockets, he texted his mother that “Everything is alright, I’m making my way home slowly.”
A few minutes later he sent a message that read, “Mother, I love you.”
His family has not heard from him since.
Hamas has released several propaganda videos of hostages, as part of a psychological campaign to influence Israeli public opinion over the course of the war in Gaza.
Fifty-nine hostages, living and dead, are still held in Gaza. Jerusalem believes that up to 24 abductees remain alive.
