On January 27, 2025, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad released a video featuring Arbel Yehud, an Israeli civilian hostage. Her delayed return from captivity had been a point of contention in the tense negotiations between Israel and Hamas following the cease-fire reached a week ago. Yehud is among the final female civilians taken during the Hamas-led attacks on Israel that began on October 7, 2023.

In the video, reportedly recorded on January 25, Yehud conveys a message to her family, saying, “My family, I’m OK. I miss you endlessly and I hope to return to you soon, like the girls who had been released.” However, rights organizations have criticized such footage as often being produced under duress, suggesting that hostage statements are typically coerced.

Or Moshe, a spokesperson for the Hostage Families Forum, confirmed that the footage showed Yehud, marking the first visual confirmation of her status since her abduction from the Israeli kibbutz Nir Oz in 2023.

Israeli authorities indicated that Yehud should have been included amongst the initial batch of hostages released on January 19 and 25 during the first wave of the cease-fire process. Israel has emphasized that the release of its female civilians should occur before that of any female soldiers in captivity.