WATCH: Islamic Jihad forced ex-hostage Sasha Trufanov to fake "happy" fishing video

A video surfaced today (Saturday) revealing the disturbing tactics used by Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) to manipulate hostages into propaganda stunts. Former hostage Alexander Sasha Troufanov, released earlier today along with Yair Horn and Sagui Dekel-Chen, was forced to participate in a staged fishing video, meant to create the illusion of humane treatment while he was held captive.

Alexander "Sasha" Trufanov’s first moments of freedom were overshadowed by heartbreaking news—his father, Vitaly, was killed during Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel. Trufanov learned of his father’s death shortly after his release, following a harrowing 498 days in captivity.

The emotional revelation came as Trufanov reunited with his mother, Yelena, and partner, Sapir Cohen, at an IDF reception point near the Gaza border. Both women had been held hostage by Hamas and were freed in an earlier exchange deal. The trio had anxiously waited for this reunion during their religious observance of Shabbat.

“I had no idea what happened to my family throughout my entire captivity,” Trufanov said after learning of his father’s death. Hamas had kept him completely isolated from any news during his 16 months of imprisonment.

Following the reunion and devastating news, Trufanov was airlifted to Ichilov Hospital for medical care, expressing gratitude to those who fought for his release.