JERUSALEM – Recent propaganda videos released by Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) depicting emaciated Israeli hostages, including Evyatar David and Rom Braslavski, have sparked outrage and renewed accusations of deliberate starvation by the militant groups. The families of the captives describe their loved ones as "living skeletons," highlighting a dire humanitarian situation for those held in Gaza.
The videos, which show David and Braslavski in severely weakened states, with one reportedly forced to dig his own grave, have been widely condemned. Evyatar David's family stated, "We are forced to witness our dear son and brother Evyatar being deliberately and cynically starved in Hamas’s tunnels in Gaza – a living skeleton buried alive." This aligns with a tweet from Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib, who characterized the display as a "despicable display of inhumanity" and a "clear sign of desperation."
According to Alkhatib's tweet, Hamas's actions are a "criminal PR stunt" intended to pressure Israel into a ceasefire by exploiting the hostages' suffering. He asserted that it is "a lie that Hamas has no access to food to at least sustain hostages; the terror group regularly steals significant amounts of aid coming in directly and indirectly."
However, reports on aid diversion in Gaza are conflicting. While some Israeli and U.S.-backed initiatives, such as the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), claim Hamas systematically divers its aid for its own purposes, UN agencies and some U.S. officials state they have found no evidence of systematic diversion. Instead, they often attribute the humanitarian crisis to Israeli restrictions on aid entry. Hamas's armed wing has denied intentionally starving prisoners, asserting that hostages "eat the same food as our fighters and the general public."
The tweet also raised concerns about the potential consequences for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, suggesting they "are now going to face the consequences of resentful and incited policemen and jail authorities." Human rights groups and testimonies from recently released Palestinian prisoners have reported a significant deterioration in conditions within Israeli jails since October 7, with allegations of widespread abuse, torture, and starvation. The number of Palestinian prisoners has nearly doubled, reaching almost 10,000, according to Israeli rights groups.
The release of these harrowing videos has intensified pressure on all parties amidst ongoing ceasefire negotiations, with international bodies and families of hostages calling for immediate action to ensure the well-being and release of all captives.