TEL AVIV — The raging Israeli-Palestinian battle for public opinion escalated Monday with the posting of another Hamas video that depicted one of Israel’s worst nightmares, in what has been described by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) as a "psychological war."
The short clip showed Noa Marciano, a 19-year-old soldier kidnapped from her military post along the Gaza border on Oct. 7, describing her captivity and warning that the intense Israeli bombings of the Gaza Strip could kill the estimated 240 hostages.
According to her Hebrew-language monologue, Marciano had been held for four days at that point. The video then zoomed in to show a close-up of Marciano’s body with a head wound that likely killed her at some point. On Tuesday morning, the IDF said Marciano was considered dead.
The video was posted almost at the same time as Israelis were glued to their screens to watch Israel’s military spokesman, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, deliver his evening briefing, in a live TV broadcast.
