International leaders have expressed shock and condemnation following the release of videos showing severely emaciated Israeli hostages held in Gaza. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has urgently called for immediate access to all captives, citing life-threatening conditions.
Two young men, abducted during the October 2023 attack on southern Israel, were featured in separate clips released by Palestinian militant groups. The footage depicts them in visibly weakened states, pleading for help. One hostage, barely able to stand, described surviving on minimal food and water, while another claimed he was digging his own grave.
Israeli officials have accused Hamas of deliberately starving prisoners, a charge the group denies, insisting hostages receive the same rations as fighters and civilians amid Gaza’s worsening food crisis. Meanwhile, reports from Gaza indicate that at least 27 Palestinians were killed near aid distribution points on Sunday, with hospitals attributing the deaths to Israeli forces.
The ICRC, facing criticism from both sides, reiterated demands for humanitarian access to hostages and Palestinian detainees in Israeli prisons. Hamas’s armed wing stated it would allow Red Cross assistance if aid corridors were permanently opened and airstrikes paused during deliveries.
In Tel Aviv, protests erupted as families of the hostages demanded swifter government action. Relatives of the two men seen in the videos pleaded for their immediate release, describing their loved ones as “forgotten” and on the brink of death.
Internationally, leaders condemned the footage, with some reiterating calls for a ceasefire tied to hostage releases. France and other nations have signaled support for Palestinian statehood under certain conditions, drawing sharp rebukes from Israel.
The crisis unfolds against a backdrop of severe food shortages in Gaza, where UN agencies warn famine is taking hold. While Israel denies restricting aid, humanitarian organizations blame its blockade for exacerbating hunger.
As global scrutiny intensifies, pressure mounts on all parties to negotiate an end to the conflict and alleviate civilian suffering.
