The parents of the American-Israeli hostage featured in Hamas’ latest propaganda video said it was “amazing” to see their son alive, but “very painful” knowing he’s still being held after more than six months.
Hersh Goldberg-Polin, 23, looked gaunt and with his arm blown off in the video released Wednesday, the first sighting since he was kidnapped from the Supernova music festival on Oct. 7.
“Initially, we were just crying,” Hersh’s mother, Rachel Goldberg-Polin, told NBC News of the family’s initial reaction to the footage.
“This was a tremendous validation,” the 54-year-old mom said.
“On the other hand, we see him — he is in captivity, he’s obviously suffering with this missing dominant arm,” she said of the left limb blown off below the elbow by a grenade.
“He certainly doesn’t look like himself,” added Hersh’s dad, Jon Polin.
“But it was amazing to see him, and amazing to see that he speaks like himself, with clarity and strength. So a lot of mixed messages.”
Until Wednesday, the last image the parents had seen of their son was a grainy video of him being loaded into the back of a truck with his left arm bone exposed and bloodied.
The family got a 45-minute notice from Israeli and US intelligence services that the video would be coming out on Wednesday, NBC explained.
Qatar – which has been mediating talks between Israel and Hamas – received the footage a few days ago and passed it over to the US government, a source familiar with the issue told the outlet.
The Biden administration received the video Monday, and was in touch with the family, a US official added.
The White House has been working under the assumption that five American hostages are still alive.
On Thursday, President Biden reiterated his call for “the immediate release” of all the hostages held in the Gaza Strip.
Hersh’s family does not know if his video was scripted, or if he was speaking in his own words when he demanded that the Israeli government negotiate his release.
“I was just looking at him and hearing his voice,” Rachel told NBC of how she initially absorbed the footage.
Hersh spoke in Hebrew in the video, while the family mostly uses English at home, Rachel noted.
After over six months, however, they were happy to “take the words” – particularly when Hersh referred to his parents and two younger sisters.
The girls were both “broken” when they heard their names, Rachel told NBC.
“Seeing that video just further lights the fire that we need to push all leaders, all of the world, every leader in this region, everybody who has been involved in negotiations,” Jon added.
“We need to get all these people home.”
“He went to a concert with his friends, and he was stolen from his life and stolen from our lives,” Rachel noted.
“And his wound is such that he will now be disabled the rest of his life. I want him home.”
Meanwhile, the family is coping with the “slow motion” trauma that has defined the last six months of their lives.
“It’s time to diffuse and release the pressure and the tension in this region, and to put a stop to all the suffering,” Rachel said.
“We say all the time that hope is mandatory. So it’s not really a choice. It’s mandatory.”
