An Israeli captive slated for release under a prisoner exchange deal attempts suicide, with Netanyahu’s policies drawing sharp criticism.
An Israeli captive held in Gaza has tried to commit suicide, the spokesperson for Saraya al-Quds, the military wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement, has announced.
In a video message, Abu Hamza said that the movement’s medical team succeeded in saving the captive’s life after he attempted suicide three days ago.
⚡️The military spokesman for Al-Quds Brigades, Abu Hamza:
Three days ago, one of our medical teams dealt with a suicide attempt by a prisoner held by one of the security units of Saraya Al-Quds.
The medical team successfully saved the prisoner’s life after his attempt, caused… pic.twitter.com/hslcRXZWEF
— Warfare Analysis (@warfareanalysis) January 2, 2025
This was “due to his psychological state” after the Benjamin Netanyahu government imposed new conditions that led to the failure and delay of negotiations for his release, Abu Hamza added.
The captive who attempted suicide was scheduled to be released as part of the group of prisoners who met the conditions and standards of the first stage of the exchange deal with Israel, he noted.
As a result of this incident, the movement has decided to tighten security and safety procedures for the captives.
Mass Protests
There have been several protests over the past few months across Israel with demonstrators calling for a ceasefire deal to release captives.
‘Unusual Psychological Impact’ – Why Israeli Soldiers Are Taking Their Own Lives
At a protest on Saturday night, Yehuda Cohen, the father of one of the captives, accused Netanyahu of “trying to deceive” incoming US President Donal Trump.
“The talk from Netanyahu and the defense minister about continuing the war and maintaining military control of Gaza serves the extremists in government and is contrary to Israeli interests,” he reportedly said, according to the Times of Israel.
Rise in Suicide
The paper reported on Thursday that there has been a rise in the number of suspected suicides in the army amid Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza.
A total of 28 soldiers were believed to have died by suicide since October 7, 2023, the paper reported, citing data published by the Israeli army.
IDF says number of troop suicides has risen during war, with hundreds of thousands in reserves https://t.co/QJxAlFD2hD
— The Times of Israel (@TimesofIsrael) January 2, 2025
“Another 10 suspected suicides took place in 2023 before the October onslaught,” the report added, noting that the number of deaths overall in the army in 2023-2024 “were the highest in decades due to war.”
(PC, Al Mayadeen)
