Surrounded by Terrorists, Pulled from the Tank: The Abduction of Nimrod Cohen | Hard to Watch

A Painful Reminder of the Hostages’ Plight

The newly revealed footage underscores the ongoing trauma of the hostage crisis, as dozens of Israeli men, women, and soldiers remain trapped in Hamas’s underground tunnels nearly two years after the October 7 massacre.

Cohen’s family described the release as both heartbreaking and necessary, hoping it will renew international pressure for his release and that of the other captives.

International Attention Grows

The footage comes at a critical time, as negotiations for a new hostage deal remain stalled despite mediation efforts by Qatar and Egypt. Families of the abducted have repeatedly accused the international community of failing to act decisively, while calling on Israel’s leadership to prioritize the hostages’ safe return.

Words of Vicki Cohen, Mother of Nimrod Cohen

“The horror film we are releasing today has already lasted 689 days. Every minute, every second, feels like eternity. What you see in this video is the greatest nightmare of any mother in Israel – my child, helpless, dragged in cruelty into hell, while I, as his mother, can do nothing. Only watch in complete helplessness, hearing the cries of my beloved son.

The footage shown today brings me back to the trauma of October 7. Until then I was a completely ordinary mother, and in one moment, when I saw the video Hamas uploaded online, I was no longer the same person. A black screen descended upon me and my family. Again now, watching this new footage, the blood drains from my body, my breath grows heavy, and anxiety takes over.

Will I ever embrace my son Nimrod again, whisper in his ear that I love him? My Nimrod, my sensitive boy, all kindness, has been forced to fight for his life in the depths of the earth – abandoned for 689 nights and days.

Government of Israel, Prime Minister, cabinet ministers, I appeal to you: step into my shoes. A mother who has not breathed for 689 nights and days. Not a moment goes by that I do not hear my son’s cries in my head, begging his mother to save him. You have no right to sabotage the deal that is on the table now. You have no right to prevent my son from coming home. You must ensure this becomes a comprehensive deal, bound by time, until my Nimrod returns to my arms.

Allow me to end with a direct message to the citizens of Israel: this time it will be different. This time, we will not go out to the streets after a deal is sabotaged. This time we will all be in the streets to make sure the deal is not sabotaged again. Tomorrow, Tuesday, Israel will stand for stopping the obstruction and for the return of the hostages – from the morning at intersections and in the evening, at 8 p.m., at Hostages Square.”

Words of Yotam Cohen, Brother of Nimrod Cohen

“Nimrod was there on October 7 to defend the country. Nimrod was sent and stationed by the state and the army without preparation, without prior intelligence on Hamas’s plans, and with a faulty tank. That same government that stationed Nimrod there and brought upon us the disaster now refuses to bring him home almost two years after his abduction.

Exactly a week ago Hamas gave a positive response to the deal. Exactly a week ago, we could have signed an agreement. Nimrod could have been home. We saw Evyatar, we saw Rom. But Nimrod, the soldier, my little brother, is still in the same situation.

Netanyahu’s government brought a catastrophe upon Nimrod, and Netanyahu’s government cannot even be bothered to respond to Hamas’s positive reply. Every day that passes, Netanyahu’s government condemns Nimrod to further torture and death. The agreement to bring Nimrod and the other 49 hostages home should have begun last week. Netanyahu’s government is already a week late.

I demand again, before more blood is spilled: sign the deal, start implementing it, commit to ending the war as part of an agreement that will bring all the hostages home. But I do not trust Netanyahu’s government, which has already missed the chance to bring Nimrod back. And so I call on the people of Israel: Nimrod was there on the day of disaster to save the state. Tomorrow, we all stand in the streets to save Nimrod – in the streets, at the intersections, and in the squares. Tomorrow we stop the sabotage and bring Nimrod and all the hostages home.”

Words of Yehuda Cohen, Father of Nimrod Cohen

“These videos, the compilation we are showing today, took place on the morning of October 7 – Nimrod’s abduction from the tank and his being led away.

I suggest to Simcha Rothman that he go down to his safe room so he won’t have to see this. I suggest Netanyahu prepare his statement from some government source: ‘a prize for Hamas.’ These videos are only part of what we’ve been shown. There are other videos of Nimrod inside Gaza speaking to the camera, which the army refuses to give us. We will continue to fight for this material. These videos are yet another reason to raise awareness, yet another reason to tell Netanyahu and his government: you must go for a deal, you must stop sabotaging.

As for that day – Nimrod, a regular soldier, was stationed on the Gaza border with a depleted force. The only thing missing was that the army should have tied his hands behind his back. The army is not doing us a favor by showing us videos. The army must give us everything for our struggle for Nimrod against Netanyahu’s government, which refuses to pursue a deal. To compel Netanyahu and his government to reach an agreement and free all the hostages – we want Nimrod free.

Tomorrow, Israel stands for stopping the obstruction and bringing the hostages home – in the morning at intersections, and in the evening at 8 p.m. in the square.”