Family of Israeli Hostage Rom Braslavski Reels After Release of Disturbing Video by Palestinian Islamic Jihad

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The Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) has released a disturbing video of Israeli hostage Rom Braslavski, showing the 21-year-old in a visibly frail and emotional state. Held captive since the outbreak of recent violence, Braslavski appears thin, distressed, and tearful in the six-minute clip, reportedly filmed days before contact with his captors was lost.

In the video, Braslavski is seen crying and struggling to speak. His mother, Tami Braslavski, called the footage heartbreaking. “They broke my boy. I want him home now,” she said. “I know how many beatings he is taking. I know because Rom doesn’t cry. If he cries, it is because they are abusing him. Look at him. Thin, limp, crying. All his bones are out.”

The video has not been released publicly, but still images approved by the family show Braslavski gaunt and weak, with dark circles under his eyes. This is the second clip released by the PIJ; the first featured Braslavski in a scripted message, describing his captivity as “hell.”

Following the release, Braslavski’s family called for a meeting with Israeli security officials and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. They expressed concern that Rom’s situation risks being overshadowed by the broader Gaza crisis. “People are speaking a lot about what is happening in Gaza, about the hunger, and I ask all those who are speaking about hunger: Did you see our Rom? He doesn’t receive food, and he doesn’t receive medicine,” the family said in a statement through the Hostages and Missing Families Forum. “He is simply forgotten there.”

The humanitarian crisis in Gaza has worsened, with the United Nations warning of famine and critically low water supplies. At least 48 Palestinians were reported killed at an aid distribution site earlier this week.

Israeli authorities estimate that around 20 hostages remain in Gaza, with as many as 50 bodies believed to be trapped. Former U.S. President Donald Trump weighed in, writing on Truth Social, “The fastest way to end the Humanitarian Crises in Gaza is for Hamas to SURRENDER AND RELEASE THE HOSTAGES!!!”

Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, will visit Israel alongside Ambassador Mike Huckabee to assess the situation. Meanwhile, the Braslavski family continues to plead for Rom’s immediate release.