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Western leaders have expressed their anger over the recently released video, showing that two Israeli hostages in Gaza appear to be weakened and suffering, putting pressure on both Hamas and Israel to grant urgent humanitarian access.
British Foreign Secretary David Lammy criticized the footage as “sick,” saying that “the image of hostages has become ill due to propaganda,” and repeated the call for the UK’s “unconditional” release.
French President Emmanuel Macron called the video a reflection of Hamas’ “abuse abuse” and emphasized that France continues to fight for their release, ceasefire and increased humanitarian access.
“An absolute priority for France is the immediate release of all hostages,” Macron said.
German Prime Minister Friedrich Merz said he was “applauseful” and reiterated that all hostage releases must precede the ceasefire agreement. “Israel must continue to provide humanitarian assistance without reciprocating Hamas’ irony,” Mertz added.
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadefal, who returned from a trip to Israeli and Palestinian territory on Friday, also said he was shocked by the “perfect” of hostage “strickeners.”
EU foreign policy director Kaja Kallas denounced the image as “in Hamas’s wild bar (in Hamas’s wild bar” and called for a release of “all hostages…immediately and unconditionally”.
“Living living skeleton”
According to a BBC report, the video released separately by Hamas and Islamic Jihad on Thursday shows 21-year-old Rom Braslavski and 24-year-old Evyatar David are visibly weakened and suffering. Both were accused of by the Nova Music Festival on October 7, 2023 during a Hamas-led attack on southern Israel.
In the video, the crying Braslavski said he was unable to stand, eating only “three crumbs of falafel.” David was also visibly malnourished and was photographed digging what he described as his grave. His relatives accused Hamas of intentionally starving him, describing him as “a living skeleton, living.”
“I haven’t eaten in days…I barely got some drinking water,” he said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the footage as “deeply shocking,” pledging hostage families that “efforts to secure a release will be “constantly and relentlessly.”
On Sunday, he also urged the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to intervene, providing food and medical support to those still in captivity.
The ICRC said it was “applauseful” with footage that was called “severe evidence of life-threatening conditions” facing hostages. The organization has updated its call to assess its condition, provide care and promote contact with family in search of immediate access.
Over the weekend, they gathered in Tel Aviv in protest led by hostage families. Speaking at the rally, Braslavsky and David’s family demanded urgent action.
“They managed to break the ROM. He was simply forgotten,” Braslavski’s family said in a statement appealing directly to Israeli and US leaders.
Hamas’ Al-Qassam Brigade denied intentionally starving prisoners, claiming that hostages would receive the same food as fighter jets and civilians amid the hunger crisis in Gaza.
The group said it would “react aggressively” to deliver Red Cross aid if humanitarian corridors were opened and airstrikes were suspended during their delivery, news sources reported.
According to available information, a total of 49 hostages remain in Gaza, with 27 people estimated to have died.
