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Netanyahu in 'profound shock' after Hamas video of Israeli hostage digging own grave
In the videos, hostages Rom Braslavski and Evyatar David are seen as Hamas leaders continue to hold them in captivity in underground tunnels.
As the war in Gaza rages on, Palestinian militant group Hamas has released a video of the remaining hostages in its captivity. The new hostage video has reportedly left Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in “profound shock.”
In a statement from the Israeli PM's office, Netanyahu stated he had spoken to the families of the two hostages - Rom Braslavski and Evyatar Davi - shown in the video.
The Israeli PM further "told the families that the efforts to return all our hostages are ongoing", the statement from his office added.
Over the past few days, Hamas and its ally Islamic Jihad have released three videos showing two hostages, who were captured during the October 7, 2023. attack on Israel.
In the videos, hostages Rom Braslavski and Evyatar David are seen as Hamas leaders continue to hold them in captivity in underground tunnels. The videos have also fuelled renewed calls to reach a truce and hostage release deal without delay.
Earlier in the day, tens of thousands of people had rallied in the coastal hub of Tel Aviv to urge Netanyahu's government to secure the release of the remaining captives.
‘Time is running out’
In the clips shared by the Palestinian Islamist groups, 21-year-old Braslavski, a German-Israeli dual national, and 24-year-old David both appear weak and malnourished. In one of the videos, Israeli hostage Evyatar David tells the camera that he is “digging his own grave.”
"What I'm doing now is digging my own grave. Every day my body becomes weaker and weaker. I'm walking directly to my grave. There is the grave where I am going to be buried in. Time is running out to be released and be able to sleep in my bed with my family." David is heard saying in the video released by Hamas as the 24-year-old breaks down at the end of the statement.
"The deliberate starvation of our son as part of a propaganda campaign is one of the most horrifying acts the world has seen. He is being starved purely to serve Hamas's propaganda," read a statement issued by David's family as protests took over Israel over the Netanyahu government's delayed response to a hostage deal.
The images and videos of the hostages made the frontpages of Israeli newspapers. Maariv showcased the "hell in Gaza" and Yedioth Ahronoth showing a "malnourished, emaciated and desperate" David.
Left-leaning Haaretz declared that "Netanyahu is in no rush" to rescue the captives, echoing claims by critics and protestors across the state that the war has been prolonged for Bibi's political agenda.
Netanyahu calls on Red Cross to send food, aid to hostages
Following the release of the videos, the Israeli PM has called on the International Committee of the Red Cross to deliver food and medical assistance to Israeli hostages still held in Gaza.
"Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with the head of the Red Cross delegation in our region, Julien Lerisson, and requested his involvement in providing food to our hostages and providing them with immediate medical treatment", read the official statement issued from the prime minister's office.
France, EU condemn videos
The videos released by Hamas have drawn global criticism towards the treatment of the hostages as well as the ongoing famine situation in the Gaza Strip. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the images "are appalling and expose the barbarity of Hamas", calling for the release of "all hostages... immediately and unconditionally".
In the same post on X, Kallas said that "Hamas must disarm and end its rule in Gaza."
France, which earned backlash for its move to recognise Palestine, has also condemned the videos.
"Despicable, unbearable images of the Israeli hostages held for 666 days in Gaza by Hamas. They must be freed, without conditions," wrote French foreign minister Jean-Noel Barrot on Sunday, adding that “Hamas must be disarmed and excluded from ruling Gaza.”
60,000 killed in Gaza
The Hamas attack of 2023 in southern Israel resulted in the deaths of around 1,200 people. Following the attack, Hamas attackers took around 250 hostages.
Of these, 49 hostages are still being held in Gaza. However, as per the Israeli military, 27 are feared dead. Around 100 to 150 hostages were released during the truce pauses in November 2024 and earlier this year.
Meanwhile, Israel's onslaught across the Gaza Strip has killed around 60,000 Palestinians. Of this, a majority of the death toll has been attributed to women and children.
