Western leaders have condemned disturbing new footage showing Israeli hostages in Gaza appearing emaciated and desperate, prompting renewed calls for their immediate release and humanitarian access.
The videos, released by Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Hamas, showed 21-year-old Rom Braslavski and 24-year-old Evyatar David, both visibly weak and malnourished. Both were kidnapped during the October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel.
UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy described the footage as “sickening,” demanding the hostages’ unconditional release. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron also expressed outrage. Macron called Hamas’s actions “abject cruelty,” and reiterated support for a ceasefire tied to hostage release and a long-term political solution.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded with “profound shock” after speaking to the families of the two hostages. He vowed continued efforts to bring all captives home, with 49 people still believed held in Gaza, including 27 presumed dead.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), which has faced criticism from both Israelis and Palestinians over limited access to prisoners on both sides, said the videos show “life-threatening conditions” and again urged access to all hostages.
Hamas’s military wing denied intentionally starving hostages, claiming they share food shortages with civilians amid Gaza’s worsening hunger crisis. The group said it would allow the Red Cross to deliver aid if Israel permits consistent humanitarian corridors and halts airstrikes during aid deliveries.
Meanwhile, in Tel Aviv, families of the hostages joined thousands of protesters demanding immediate government action. The family of Braslavski, seen crying in one clip and saying he had only eaten “crumbs of falafel,” said he had been “forgotten” and pleaded with U.S. and Israeli leaders to intervene.
David, in another video, said he hadn’t eaten in days and was shown digging what he called his own grave. His family accused Hamas of deliberate starvation, calling him a “living skeleton, buried alive.”
As Gaza’s humanitarian crisis deepens, international pressure on Israel is growing. The UN reports malnutrition-related deaths daily, with 175 confirmed so far, including 93 children. While aid agencies blame Israeli restrictions for the famine-like conditions, Israeli authorities deny such claims and accuse Hamas of manipulating the narrative.
Global opinion appears to be shifting. Protests, diplomatic condemnation, and a push for recognizing a Palestinian state—including recent moves by France, Canada, and the UK—are increasing pressure on Israel to change course.
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