Hamas hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin's parents share their emotional reaction to proof-of-life video

The parents of Israeli-American Hamas hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin have expressed both relief and concern after seeing him in a proof-of-life video.

The 24-year-old, born in California and taken from the Nova Festival on October 7, was seen in a video posted by Hamas where he blamed Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu for leaving him with the terror group for 200 days. 

Speaking from Jerusalem on Thursday, his parents Jon Polin and Rachel Goldberg-Polintold told ABC that seeing their son alive after more than 200 days was overwhelming and bittersweet.

'A total mix of emotional, first and foremost, relief and gratitude to both see him and hear him. There is something about that multi-sensory [experience] was really overwhelming,' Polin said.

'He's alive! Assuming this video is current, which we believe it is, he's alive.

Goldberg-Polin's mother agreed, saying it was an 'extremely emotional' experience. 

Speaking from Jerusalem on Thursday, Jon Polin and Rachel Goldberg-Polin hat seeing his son alive after more than 200 days was overwhelming and bittersweet

Hersh Goldberg-Polin (pictured) can be seen missing his left hand and part of his arm

She added: 'Lots of tears. To be honest, I wasn't even listening to the content, I was just hearing my only son's voice and seeing him move and trying to look into his eyes.

However, Jolin also said the video gave him reasons to be concerned, as he believes it shows that his son could be medically compromised. 

Jolin added: The flipside of that is we as parents know our son better than anybody and we see a level of distress and some things than concern us about his health, not only obviously his arm that we knew was blown off.

'Hersh is really thin, he's always been really thin, and he looked kind of puffy in the video. There was like a swelling that concerned us around his face, neck, shoulders. It causes us a little bit of concern. We've talked to some doctors who have said it could perhaps be a form of Edema or a no protein diet.'

The parents also appeared on NBC Bay Area to react to the proof-of-life video, with his mom speaking directly to the kidnapped Israeli-American.

He was one of around 250 hostages taken by Hamas on October 7 

Hersh Golberg-Polin, 24, was taken by Hamas fighters while he attended the Nova festival 

Hersh's parents (pictured) have been fighting for their son's release since he was kidnapped two hundred days ago

'If you can hear us, we are telling you, we love you, stay strong, survive,' Goldberg-Polin said.

In the harrowing hostage video, Goldberg-Polin, who can be seen missing his left hand and part of his arm, begins by identifying himself, before saying: 'I was arrested on October 7 at the Nova Festival in Rei'm. I went out seeking entertainment with my friends. 

The emaciated man, who has spent more than six months as a hostage and was seen with a shaved head, said: 'Instead, I found myself struggling to survive with serious injuries all over my body.

'Nevertheless, I took it upon myself to protect myself and the people who were afraid around me because there was no one to protect us that day.'

He then blames Netanyahu and his government's decision not to rescue the hostages, saying: 'Benjamin Netanyahu and his government, [you] should be ashamed of yourselves because you neglected us along with thousands of other citizens. 

'You should be ashamed of yourselves for leaving us for two hundred days, and all the efforts of the army have failed. 

'Also, you should be ashamed because all the deals that were offered to you were rejected. Don't you want to end this nightmare? 

'Benjamin Netanyahu and members of his government, at a time when you are holding lunches with your families, think of us detainees in underground hell without water, food, or sun; without the treatment I need for so long. 

'I ask you the Prime Minister, your government and the cabinet. Every day we are here, you ignore us more and more, and you ignore our blood. 

'Do what is expected of you and bring us home immediately, or has this become too big for you? 

'It is time to hand over the government keys and evacuate the ministries and sit in your homes. 

He blamed Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu for leaving him with the terror group for 200 days

He was severely injured when he was taken from the Nova Festival

In the horrifying footage, Hersh is seen climbing into the bed of a Hamas pickup truck moments after his left arm was blown off

Hersh and several other young men were loaded, at gunpoint, into the bed of a Hamas pickup truck. Blood coated each of their bodies

After the anti-Netanyahu comments, he then pivots to tell his family how much he misses and loves them.  

'Another and last thing is more important than all; my mother, my father, Liby and Orly - I love you so much and miss you so much, and I think about you every day that passes on me.

'I know you're doing your best to get me home as soon as possible. I want you to stay strong for me, and not stop until we all return home in peace.'

Referencing Passover, he finished by saying: 'I expect and hope to see you very soon after all this tragedy is over. It won't be a happy holiday for me, but I wish you one.'

The hostage's forum in Tel Aviv told MailOnline: 'For more than 200 days, 133 hostages have been held captive by Hamas, enduring daily physical, sexual, and psychological torment.

'Hersh's cry is the collective cry of all the hostages - their time is rapidly running out. With each passing day, the fear of losing more innocent lives grows stronger.

'We cannot afford to waste any more time; the hostages must be the top priority.

'All the hostages must be brought home - those alive to begin the process of rehabilitation, and those murdered for a dignified burial.

'This distressing video serves as an urgent call to take swift and decisive action to resolve this horrific humanitarian crisis and ensure the safe return of our loved ones.'

Previous video footage shows Goldberg-Polin and several other young men were piled into the back of a vehicle at gunpoint. They are shown pulling themselves into the truck, including Hersh, who conducted himself calmly despite his calamitous injury. 

In the video, Goldberg-Polin's bloody left limb was seen protruding as he hoisted himself into the truck at around 9am on Saturday October 7 at the Nova music festival in southern Israel.

The footage, initially uncovered by Anderson Cooper's team at CNN, showed several Palestinian terrorists dragging three other young men into the truck with Goldberg-Polin, the last of whom was thrown on top of the three injured men.

People rush to landing humanitarian aid packages dropped over the northern Gaza Strip

The conflict has sparked regional unrest pitting Israel and the US against Iran and allied militant groups across the Middle East

Israel has said several times that it plans to evacuate displaced civilians from Rafah ahead of a six-week military operation that will likely begin in May

Smoke rises following Israeli strikes, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas

Rachel Goldberg, Hersh's mother, has been a key hostages activist and has pushed for Hamas to release the estimated 129 remaining hostages, who today marked 200 days as prisoners.  

The Israel-Hamas war was sparked by the unprecedented October 7 raid into southern Israel in which the militants killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducted around 250 hostages. 

The war in Gaza has killed more than 34,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials, around two-thirds of them children and women.

Despite the bloody cost of the war, Israel is still preparing to follow through until the end, and was this week seen building an enormous tent city to evacuate the more than one million Palestinians who have sought refuge in Rafah, the last standing city in the Gaza Strip. 

Photos from satellite imaging company Planet Labs show a marked build up of tents in a uniform pattern near Khan Younis, which has largely been levelled during the bloody invasion of the Gaza Strip by Israel's military.

The photos, taken three days apart on April 18 and April 21 respectively, show white structures being built up significantly over a short period of time.

Relatives and supporters tape their mouth shut and bind their hands as they hold placards bearing portraits of Israelis held hostage in Gaza since the October 7 attacks

A boy walks near a clock counting days, as today marks 200 days since people were taken hostages by the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas

Relatives of hostages, held by Hamas, gather to stage a protest against the government of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and demanding an end to the war and immediate return of them to their homes

Israel has said several times that it plans to evacuate displaced civilians from Rafah ahead of a six-week military operation that will likely begin in May.

Egyptian officials told the Wall Street Journal that the first few weeks will be dedicated to evacuating refugees to Khan Younis and other areas equipped with shelters and medical facilities.

The preparations come as the US says that Hamas is gearing up for a 'full-scale regional war.'

State Department spokesperson Matt Miller said that Hamas was 'moving the goalposts' in hostage and ceasefire negotiations, adding that the terror group declined a 'very significant proposal', though did not specify what this was. 

He said: 'It certainly does seem like Hamas is more interested in a full-scale regional war.

'It takes two to make an agreement, and right now Hamas has signalled that they don't want an agreement.' 

Miller urged Hamas to stay at the table, telling the group the ball was 'in their court.'