Israeli mother denounces Hamas videos as psychological warfare after the death of her child

Iris Haim, the mother of an Israeli hostage who was accidentally killed by Israeli soldiers in Gaza, has referred to hostage videos released by Hamas as "psychological warfare". According to Haim, the recent videos that depict hostages who appear to be dead were intended to weaken the Israeli government by turning the Israeli people against it. One video released by Hamas displayed the bodies of two hostages, Yossi Sharabi and Itay Svirsky, whom Hamas claimed were killed by air strikes. However, Israeli forensic officials assert that the post-mortems on the bodies do not support this claim. The video was narrated by another hostage, Noa Argamani, whose fate is currently unknown. Haim's own son, Yotam, was killed along with two other Israeli captives on December 15th. These three hostages were captured by Hamas gunmen during the group's attack on Israel on October 7th, resulting in the deaths of approximately 1,300 people, mostly civilians. Haim expresses her pride in the fact that her son and the other captives had managed to escape and sought refuge in an empty building near Israeli army positions. However, when the hostages exited the building shirtless and waving a makeshift white flag, an Israeli sniper opened fire on them, injuring Yotam and killing the other two men instantly. The IDF claims that an order was given to hold fire and Yotam was instructed to come forward, but one of the soldiers still shot him due to an inability to hear the command amidst tank noise. Haim, filled with grief but displaying compassion, recorded a message to the soldiers responsible for her son's death, stating that she does not hold them accountable. She blames Hamas entirely for her son's demise and rejects any anger towards Israeli forces. Haim's reaction contrasts with the views expressed by the family of Alon Shamriz, another hostage who was killed. At Shamriz's funeral, his brother faulted the Israeli government for his sibling's abduction and death, proclaiming, "The one who abandoned you also murdered you." Haim, who previously came to London in November to raise awareness about the hostages, still harbors hope that her son might return alive. Yotam and the other two deceased hostages were held captive alongside Wichian Temthong, a Thai migrant worker who was released as part of a separate agreement with Hamas. Temthong recounts how Yotam, a drummer for the heavy metal band Persephore, would drum with his hands to keep his spirits up while in captivity. This brings comfort to Haim, who emphasizes that her son's resilience endured throughout the challenging ordeal. Yotam's brother is also a drummer and performs in Israeli singer Netta Barzilai's band, who won the 2018 Eurovision Song Contest. Barzilai sang a Metallica song at Yotam's funeral. Approximately 130 out of the estimated 240 individuals taken from Israel to Gaza are believed to still be held by Hamas, with around half of them released in November. Haim worries about the remaining hostages, highlighting the lack of food and medication in Gaza. She wants the world to recognize her son's heroism and views his death as him finally attaining his freedom.