Saraya Al-Quds, the military wing of the Islamic Jihad Movement, broadcast on Monday evening a video of Israeli captive Arbel Yehud in Gaza, recorded two days ago, where she addressed her family, stating she is well and hopes to return to them soon.
Yehud, who confirmed she was a former soldier in the Israeli army, said: "My family, I am well, I miss you very much, and I hope to return to you soon like the girls who were released. I am with Saraya Al-Quds and I am okay."
"I am from Kibbutz (settlement) Nir Oz, born on June 21, 1995, and served in the Israeli army from October 2013 to October 2015 with the military number 8086762," she added.
Yehud appealed to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump to do everything possible to ensure the ceasefire continues as planned so that Israeli captives and Palestinians prisoners can return to their homes safely.
As of 1925GMT, neither Israel nor the US commented on the video.
Israel has cited Yehud's captivity as a justification for delaying the return of Palestinian civilians displaced from northern Gaza. On Saturday, Netanyahu linked the repatriation of hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians to the release of Yehud, according to a statement from his office.
The primary point of contention lies in Yehud's classification. Palestinian resistance factions maintain she is a military personnel, while Israeli sources insist that she is a civilian, according to Israeli media.
The Israeli news site Walla reported that Yehud is held by Islamic Jihad's military wing and has been classified as a soldier due to her participation in Israel's military space program.
Ahead of resolving the crisis, Hamas confirmed via mediators that Yehud, 29, is alive and in good health. The group indicated plans to release her on Saturday, but Israeli officials expressed skepticism regarding this assurance.
On Sunday, Qatar announced new understandings between Hamas and Israel. These include the return of displaced Palestinians to Gaza starting Monday, in exchange for Yehud's release along with two other captives before Friday. Hamas is also set to release three additional captives on Saturday, as per the agreement.
Following the announcement, the Israeli military confirmed Sunday evening that displaced Palestinians from northern Gaza could begin returning to their homes starting Monday morning.
The Gaza ceasefire agreement took effect on Jan. 19, suspending Israel's genocidal war that has killed more than 47,300 Palestinians, most of them women and children, and injured more than 111,400 since Oct. 7, 2023.
The Israeli onslaught has left more than 11,000 people missing, with widespread destruction and a humanitarian crisis that has claimed the lives of many elderly people and children in one of the worst global humanitarian disasters ever.
The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants in November last year for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.
