White House: Hamas hostage video is ‘propaganda’ over ‘proof of life’

White House spokesperson John Kirby on Tuesday condemned a newly released video of an Israeli hostage held by Hamas as “despicable,” as U.S. officials work to free Americans taken by the terrorist group in recent days.

Kirby, a spokesperson on national security issues, told NBC’s “Today” that he does not put much stock into the video as evidence of how hostages are treated by Hamas, which controls Gaza and launched terrorist attacks earlier this month that killed more than 1,000 Israelis.

“There’s no question in my mind that that woman gave that video testimony under duress, probably forced to do it,” Kirby said. “It’s a propaganda video much more than it is proof of life or, certainly, proof of concept for Hamas. It’s despicable, deplorable, that they would take these hostages and then advertise how well they’re treating them when they’re the ones who hurt them in the first place.”

A video released Monday showed a young woman lying in a bed and receiving medical treatment. Her arm is being wrapped after what appears to be a recent surgery to stabilize what could be a broken bone. 

In another shot, she is sitting up and facing the camera, explaining her name, age and that she was taken to Gaza from the southern Israeli city of Sderot after the Supernova music festival, where Hamas killed more than 200 people.

The White House has confirmed that American citizens were among those taken hostage by Hamas, though it has provided scant details on their whereabouts or condition.

President Biden last week held a virtual call with families of those taken by Hamas to reassure them that the government was doing all it could to secure their release.