International community slams Hamas over “Criminal abuse” of hostages

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has expressed deep shock and revulsion following the release of disturbing new videos by Hamas and its ally, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, showing emaciated Israeli hostages held in Gaza. 

The videos have reignited a fierce debate within Israel over the urgent need for a hostage deal to bring them home.

“The Prime Minister expressed deep consternation over the footage released by the terrorist organization Hamas,” Netanyahu’s office said in a statement late Saturday. “He assured the families that efforts to bring back all of our hostages continue relentlessly and without pause.”

The footage, released Thursday and Friday, shows two Israeli hostages in severely deteriorated physical condition. One segment, which particularly shocked viewers, features an emaciated man digging in the sandy floor of a narrow tunnel — a chilling scene interpreted by many as symbolic of digging his own grave.

Israeli officials and observers have described the clips as psychological warfare and blatant propaganda meant to inflame emotions. Netanyahu also accused Hamas of committing broader humanitarian abuses in Gaza, including intentionally starving the local population and blocking aid deliveries.

“Hamas terrorists are also deliberately starving Gaza’s civilians and launching a disinformation campaign against Israel,” Netanyahu said. “We call on countries around the world to clearly condemn Hamas’s Nazi-like criminal abuses.”

International reaction to the footage has been swift. European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas condemned the “horrifying images” and demanded the hostages’ “immediate release.”

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot echoed the outrage. “Appalling, unbearable images of Israeli hostages held in Gaza for 666 days by Hamas. Their suffering must end,” Barrot wrote on X.

The videos have intensified pressure on the Israeli government to strike a deal. However, negotiations remain stalled, with both sides blaming each other for the lack of progress. 

Over 100 hostages are still believed to be held in Gaza since the October 7, 2023 attacks by Hamas, which left 1,200 Israelis dead and sparked the ongoing war.