Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reacted strongly to a disturbing new video released by Hamas showing 24-year-old Israeli hostage Evyatar David looking severely malnourished and digging what he claimed was his own grave. In the video, David, shirtless and visibly weak, is seen inside a narrow tunnel, scratching off calendar dates and shoveling dirt.
Netanyahu called the footage “proof that the cruelty of Hamas knows no boundaries.” He noted that while Israel continues to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza, the terrorist group is deliberately starving hostages and using their suffering for propaganda.
The Prime Minister described the video as “cynical and evil,” urging the global community to take a firm stance against what he called the “criminal Nazi-like abuse” by Hamas. His office said he had spoken extensively with the families of Evyatar David and another hostage, Rom Braslavski, both of whom appeared in similar distressing footage.
Netanyahu reassured the families that Israel’s efforts to bring all hostages home are ongoing and relentless. He also conveyed, on behalf of his wife Sara, heartfelt support to the families, saying she was deeply shaken by the horrifying scenes.
David’s family, through the Hostages Families Forum Headquarters, said they were devastated by the footage. They described their son as a “living skeleton, buried alive,” and condemned Hamas’s actions as “one of the most horrifying acts the world has seen.”
At a large rally in Tel Aviv, David’s brother Ilay addressed the crowd, stating that the hostages are “on the brink of death” and accused Hamas of turning his brother into a “live hunger experiment.” He called the act a “barbaric assault on basic human decency” and said it deeply scars humanity.
Talks aimed at securing a ceasefire and the release of hostages have stalled, prompting U.S. and Israeli negotiators to withdraw from Qatar. Meanwhile, U.S. officials, including Ambassador Mike Huckabee and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, visited Gaza to assess food distribution and humanitarian conditions. Their visit aimed to inform Donald Trump on how best to ensure aid reaches civilians and not Hamas operatives.
According to the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, the visit showed a clear understanding of the urgent need to prioritize feeding innocent civilians over terrorist interests.
