Hamas instigates with footage showing malnourished Israeli prisoners - Hostage videos released by Hamas spark controversy, featuring images of malnourished Israeli captives
The international community is putting increasing pressure on Israel to allow more humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip and agree to a new ceasefire, as the aftermath of the October 7, 2023, Hamas terrorist attack continues to unfold. Since that fateful day, around 250 Israelis have been kidnapped, including Evyatar David, who was seized at a music festival near Gaza.
Over the past two years, Hamas has released videos showing these hostages in extremely deteriorated and emaciated conditions. Notably, in August 2025, Hamas published a macabre video of 24-year-old Evyatar David digging what he fears is his own grave, visibly gaunt and weakened by captivity and alleged deliberate starvation. Another video showed 22-year-old Rom Braslavski in a state of pain and exhaustion.
These videos have been described as psychological warfare and propaganda by Hamas, aimed at shocking and fracturing Israeli society and forcing political and military responses. The footage sparked horror, intensified public fear, and influenced Israeli government strategy, possibly motivating plans to expand ground operations in less-targeted Gaza regions.
Families of hostages have used these videos to call for negotiations to end the war and secure releases, while Israeli leadership, including Prime Minister Netanyahu, has emphasized continuing focused military operations against Hamas rather than conceding to the pressures induced by the hostage propaganda.
Internationally, the videos have attracted widespread attention and condemnation, highlighting the humanitarian crisis of the hostages and fueling diplomatic efforts towards an “all or nothing” hostage deal, as noted by external mediators such as former U.S. envoy figures.
Meanwhile, the EU's High Representative, Kaja Kalla, has called for all hostages to be released immediately and unconditionally and for comprehensive humanitarian aid to reach those in need in the Gaza Strip. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul (CDU), and the UK's Foreign Secretary James Cleverly have all condemned the "repulsive, intolerable images" related to the hostage situation in the Gaza Strip.
The Israeli military's actions in the Gaza Strip have resulted in over 60,400 deaths, according to the Hamas-controlled health ministry in the Gaza Strip. One video shows 24-year-old David seemingly digging his own grave in a narrow tunnel. The parents of Evyatar David have accused Hamas of using their son as a living experiment in a heinous hunger campaign.
The crisis has also led to political tensions within Israel, with Netanyahu's handling of the Gaza war being highly controversial even within his own population. Critics accuse the prime minister of not doing enough to secure the release of hostages and even prolonging the war with Hamas to maintain his grip on power.
The far-right Israeli security minister, Itamar Ben Gvir, has demanded that the entire Gaza Strip be conquered and a "voluntary evacuation" of the Palestinians living there be achieved as a response to the Hamas videos. However, this call has been met with resistance and controversy, both within Israel and internationally.
As the situation in Gaza continues to escalate, the international community remains hopeful that a resolution can be found to end the hostage crisis, secure the release of those being held captive, and bring peace to the region.
- Amidst the ongoing conflict and political tensions, the Palestinian Authority has been accused of using its own weapons against Palestinians, with videos showing hostages in emaciated conditions playing a crucial role in psychological warfare and fueling calls for negotiations and humanitarian aid.
- The international community, in response to the repulsive images related to the hostage situation in Gaza, has condemned the actions and called for immediate and unconditional release of the hostages, as well as extensive humanitarian aid to the region, highlighting the interrelated nature of war-and-conflicts, politics, general-news, and crime-and-justice.
