Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday night accused the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas of "starving" Israeli hostages held in the Gaza Strip, after the
“Hamas’s cruelty knows no bounds,” Netanyahu said in a statement. “While the State of Israel allows humanitarian aid to enter Gaza, Hamas terrorists are deliberately starving our people and documenting it in the most cynical and vicious way,” he added.
The Israeli leader maintained that armed groups are not only depriving the hostages of food, but also the Gazan population."Hamas terrorists are also deliberately starving the residents of the Gaza Strip and preventing them from receiving aid, and are echoing a false propaganda campaign against Israel," he warned. Netanyahu urged the international community to condemn what he called"the criminal Nazi abuse of the Hamas terrorist organization."
Netanyahu's statements follow the release of a video by the Al Qassam Brigades, Hamas's armed wing, in which Evyatar David appears extremely thin and calls for an agreement that would allow her release and access to food for Gaza. In the video, David is shown digging her own grave.
In the images, released after an initial post on Friday that already showed his notable thinness, David stated:"What I'm digging is my own grave." The tunnel he's in is barely a meter wide. Later, the hostage added:"Time is running out," and finally collapsed next to the shovel, after requesting a truce that would allow him to return to his family. A final message from the captors stated:"Only a ceasefire agreement can bring them back alive."
The release of such videos often coincides with periods of deadlock in ceasefire negotiations. Currently, the talks are at a standstill, and US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff remains in Israel to address the issue.
The release of these images has sparked international reactions. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot called the video"vile and unbearable," demanding the "immediate and unconditional release" of all captives and the exclusion of Hamas from the Gaza government. Barrot reiterated that humanitarian aid must be delivered"en masse" given the critical situation of the residents and hostages in the enclave.
The Paraguayan government also"strongly" condemned the release of the video and Hamas's use of the prisoners for propaganda purposes.
“Hamas is using our son as an experiment in a vile hunger campaign,” Evyatar David’s family declared, lamenting that he is being starved “to serve Hamas propaganda.”
The humanitarian crisis in Gaza persists amid the blockade and military clashes. According to the UN, more than 60,000 people have died in Gaza since the start of the Israeli offensive against Palestinian terrorism. Recent episodes have intensified international pressure to find a negotiated solution that would allow the entry of aid and the release of hostages.
