Hamas released footage showing Israeli hostages appearing severely malnourished in Gaza. The group seems to want to blame Israel for worsening conditions.
One video shows 24-year-old Evyatar David from Kfar Saba. He sits shirtless in a tunnel, with only a worn mattress and a small bottle of water. David was kidnapped during the Nova music festival on 7 October 2023. He remains silent in the video, which also shows images of undernourished Palestinian children.
Hamas includes a message saying, “They eat what we eat, they drink what we drink.” The group accuses Israel of causing shortages for both Gazan civilians and hostages.
David’s sister, Ye’ela, said watching the video was deeply upsetting. She asked people not to share the footage, as their mother and other brother had not yet seen it.
Earlier that day, Palestinian Islamic Jihad released another video. It showed 21-year-old Rom Braslavski, who also looked very weak. The group said they lost contact with his captors after filming the six-minute video. They do not know his current condition.
Braslavski’s mother, Tami, told Israeli media outlet Ynet she worries about her son. She said he appeared broken and severely emaciated.
Humanitarian concerns and international response
The two hostage videos appeared within 24 hours. Both blamed Israel for food shortages in Gaza, likely aiming to increase international pressure on Israel.
Humanitarian groups, including the United Nations, have warned that hunger and malnutrition are reaching critical levels in Gaza.
Israel denies deliberately restricting food supplies. Instead, it criticises the UN for failing to distribute aid properly at border crossings.
US President Donald Trump recently said starvation is happening in Gaza. He expressed doubt over Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s denial, stating, “You can’t fake that.”
Steve Witkoff, Trump’s Middle East envoy, spent five hours visiting aid distribution sites in Gaza on Friday. He was the first senior US official to visit since the conflict began. Witkoff said his visit would help Washington develop plans to deliver more aid.
On the same day, the Israel Defence Forces reported that France, Spain, the UAE, Jordan, Egypt, and Germany airdropped 126 aid packages to northern and southern Gaza.
Witkoff and US Ambassador Mike Huckabee toured a site run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). This group receives backing from both Israel and the US. Some aid organisations accuse the GHF of worsening the food crisis.
The United Nations reports that more than 1,300 people seeking aid have died since the GHF took over aid distribution in late May. Most were shot by Israeli forces near aid centres. The GHF denies these claims.
Allegations of aid misuse and statements from former hostages
Israel accuses Hamas of diverting aid to supply its fighters. This claim has led to accusations that Israel deliberately causes food shortages. Hamas denies diverting aid.
In March, former hostage Eli Sharabi spoke at the UN Security Council. He said Hamas members had plenty of food while hostages starved.
Sharabi said, “I saw Hamas operatives carrying dozens of boxes marked with UN and UNRWA logos into tunnels. They ate several meals a day from this aid. We received none.”
