Israel has released an image of its soldier Naama Levy, one of the hostages taken by Hamas during the October 7 attack. The picture came close on the heels of the ongoing “All Eyes On Rafah” campaign on social media, drawing attention to Israel's deadly war in Gaza and most recent attack on the southernmost city of Rafah.
The photograph, posted on the official X account of Israel, shows the bloodied face of nineteen-year-old Naama Levy, who was captured alongside six other young women soldiers by Hamas gunmen from the Nahal Oz military base. Their duty was to monitor surveillance cameras along the Gaza perimeter fence. “ALL EYES ON NAAMA LEVY,” the caption read, followed by a hashtag saying “Let them go now.”
ALL EYES ON NAAMA LEVY #LetThemGoNow pic.twitter.com/Ltx8RDXsHo
— Israel ישראל (@Israel) May 30, 2024
Ms Levy's plight gained global attention when a video released by Hamas showed her in captivity – her trousers stained with blood around the crotch, hands bound and ankles cut.
In the 3-minute video, gunmen were seen yelling at women, including Naama Levy, who had bloody faces and were tied up before being forced into a jeep. The gunmen shouted threats in Arabic, and one made a comment in English, saying, "You're beautiful."
Ms Levy, who had participated in an Israeli-Palestinian peace initiative, was seen pleading in the video with a bloody face, saying, "I have friends in Palestine."
October 7 attack
The October 7 attack by Hamas on Israel resulted in the deaths of about 1,160 people in Israel, mostly civilians. The group also took about 250 hostages, with dozens released during a week-long truce in November. Israel believes that 99 hostages remain alive, while 31 have died.
“Where were your eyes on October 7?”
Earlier, on Wednesday, Israel again responded to the “All Eyes on Rafah” campaign, asking, "Where were your eyes on October 7?" In a post on X, Israel wrote, “We will NEVER stop talking about October 7th. We will NEVER stop fighting for the hostages.”
We will NEVER stop talking about October 7th.
— Israel ישראל (@Israel) May 29, 2024
We will NEVER stop fighting for the hostages. pic.twitter.com/XoFqAf1IjM
This came after global personalities, including Bollywood stars, joined the social media campaign against Israel following the recent attack on a tent camp that killed 45 Palestinians, including women and children.
Current situation in Rafah
Israeli tanks mounted raids across Rafah, defying an order from the International Court of Justice to cease its attacks on the southern Gaza city. Before that, on Sunday, Israel sent tanks into the heart of Rafah for the first time, targeting areas where many Palestinians sought refuge from ongoing bombardments.
Rafah, crowded with hundreds and thousands of displaced Palestinians, faced the Israeli offensive on Sunday. Fires from the attack, triggered by a fuel tank explosion from an airstrike, killed at least 45 Palestinians, including many children, sparking widespread condemnation. The Tal as-Sultan area, considered a "safe zone," was hit by at least eight Israeli missiles.
Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world