Relatives of Hisham Al-Sayed (C-R) and Avera Mengistu (C-L), two Israelis held by Hamas in Gaza in 2014. (AFP/File)
The words “For how long will I be in captivity? After so many years, where are the state and the people of Israel?” were uttered, in Hebrew, by a person believed to be Avera Mengistu, an Israeli soldier of Ethiopian origin who was captured in Gaza in 2014. Footage released last week of Mengistu, looking nervous but also somewhat defiant and calling on his countrymen to end his nine-year incarceration, mostly ended speculation in Israel on whether the soldier was alive or dead.
The timing of the release of the footage by Hamas was obvious and is directly linked to the Palestinian group’s efforts to conduct a prisoner...