A still image from a video of Israeli captive Hisham al-Sayyed location released by Hamas. Photo: Hamas media office / screenshot

Outgoing Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on Tuesday condemned the Hamas terror group after it released a video showing an Israeli civilian captive wearing an oxygen mask, calling it an “abhorrent and deplorable” act.

“Hamas is holding two mentally disabled Israeli citizens who are ill and suffering, in complete contravention of international law,” Bennett stated. “Hisham al-Sayed is not a soldier but a mentally disabled Israeli civilian who had previously crossed the border to the Gaza Strip several times.”

“The State of Israel holds Hamas responsible for the medical state of the captive civilians,” he added.

In the footage released by Hamas, the Israeli Bedouin captive al-Sayed is seen lying in bed wearing a mask over his mouth and nose, and hooked up to an oxygen tank alongside his bed. In the soundless video, al-Sayid’s Israeli identification card is shown next to him on the bed, while a TV screen in the background displays footage of the Qatar Economic Forum held in Doha last week.

The video’s dissemination came after the military wing of Hamas claimed on Monday that the health of one of the Israeli captives held by the terror group had deteriorated. Hamas has held hostage two Israeli citizens — al-Sayed and Ethiopian immigrant Avera Mengistu — since they separately crossed into the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip in 2014 and 2015.

Defense Minister Benny Gantz remarked that the video, “whose credibility is in question, is intended for extortion.”

“Hamas is paying and will continue to pay a price for its terrorist activities,” Gantz warned. “The State of Israel will continue taking a variety of measures, until all our boys return home.”

Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Yair Lapid called on the international community, including the World Health Organization, the International Red Cross, and organizations working with the mentally challenged to condemn Hamas for its “inhumane behavior and to demand it act according to international law and free the civilians and bodies it is holding.”

Hamas has in the past sought to pressure Israel to negotiate a prisoner swap to free the Israeli captives, as well as the bodies of two IDF soldiers it holds, in exchange for the release of hundreds of Palestinian detainees from Israeli prisons.

Meanwhile, the Lebanese pro-Iranian TV channel Al-Mayadeen reported Tuesday that Hamas has notified mediators it seeks to advance an “urgent humanitarian prisoner exchange deal.” Under suggested terms of the deal, Israel would need to release “sick prisoners” in exchange for al-Sayed.

“It is Hamas that is delaying any chance of a deal,” Bennett said. “The actions of Hamas prove that it is a cynical and reprehensible terrorist organization.”