Hamas released harrowing video footage of 24-year-old hostage Evyatar David, emaciated and digging his own grave. The David family called it “a live hunger experiment,” accusing Hamas of deliberately starving him for propaganda. “Our son has only a few days left to live,” they said, urging Israel, the international community, and US President Donald Trump to secure his immediate release and deliver food and medical aid.
Warning: Video contains shocking images. Viewer discretion advised.
The footage came just days after Palestinian Islamic Jihad published a video of another Oct. 7 hostage, Rom Braslavski. His family said he looked “on the verge of death” and had been “forgotten” in captivity. Former hostages who knew the men described their appearance as devastating, pleading for an urgent deal to bring them home.
Hostage Rom Braslavski (screenshot X)
On Friday, thousands gathered at Tel Aviv’s Hostage Square under the banner “Never Again,” demanding a comprehensive agreement to end the war and free all 50 hostages still held in Gaza. “Enough of apathy, enough of complacency,” said Michel Iluz, father of another captive.
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The release of the videos reignited the debate over hunger in Gaza and the treatment of hostages.
US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Ambassador Mike Huckabee toured Gaza on Friday, meeting with the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), which has distributed 1.2 million meals daily since May, about half a meal per person. Witkoff said the visit aimed to “level-set the facts” for President Trump and explore aid solutions. Hamas denounced the trip as a “theatrical performance,” rejected reports it might disarm, and declared no hostage deal would be possible due to the humanitarian situation.
Israeli officials voiced frustration at international moves they say embolden Hamas. Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar warned that recognition of a Palestinian state by countries like France and Spain “takes pressure off” the group and undermines hostage negotiations. He said,“International pressure on Israel is only hardening Hamas’s stance; global pressure must be on Hamas to free the hostages and lay down its arms.
With talks stalled, the Israel Defense Forces pressed its campaign in Gaza. On Saturday, the IDF announced the defeat of Hamas’s Beit Hanoun battalion after three terrorists surrendered to the Givati Brigade, an unusual case of capitulation. Troops discovered a tunnel stocked with weapons, food, and water, which the military said could support long-term underground residence. Combat engineers are preparing it for demolition.
Defense Minister Israel Katz posted footage of the surrender, declaring, “The IDF is destroying both the above and the underground to defend the city of Sderot.”
Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir warned that without a partial deal in the coming days, “the fighting will continue unabated.” For the families of David, Braslavski, and the other captives, the urgency of freeing the hostages is absolute. “This is not just a violation of international law—it scars the very soul of humanity,” said Ilay David. “Act now. Before it’s too late.”