Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has urged the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to deliver food and medical care to Israeli hostages in Gaza, following widespread outrage over disturbing videos showing two captives, Evyatar David and Rom Braslavski, looking emaciated, according to a report published by CNN on Monday.
The Red Cross described the videos as “appalling,” urging that the “dire situation must come to an end.” French President Emmanuel Macron called the imagery “unbearable,” while German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the footage demonstrated that “Hamas should have no role in Gaza’s future.”
Protesters Demand Hostage Deal
Meanwhile, tens of thousands of protesters took to streets in Tel Aviv, holding signs like ‘Stop the war’ and ‘Leave no one behind,’ calling on Netanyahu to negotiate a hostage release. Netanyahu’s office confirmed that the Israeli prime minister spoke with agency head Julien Lerisson, seeking Red Cross assistance in providing essentials to those held captive.
Starvation Claims and Conditional Cooperation
Netanyahu has denied claims of widespread starvation in Gaza amid warnings from a UN-backed food security agency that the war-ravaged enclave may be experiencing its “worst-case scenario” of famine. Hamas, meanwhile, claimed that the group would “deal positively” with the Red Cross, but only if humanitarian corridors were opened in Gaza.
Abu Obeida, Hamas’s military wing spokesperson recently said hostages ate the same food as fighters and the population, and do not receive special privileges, as reported by CNN. Izzat Al-Rashiq, a Hamas political official, called the images a “definitive response to all who deny the existence of famine in Gaza.”
Rising Malnutrition and Aid Danger
The World Health Organization has said that deaths due to malnutrition in Gaza had surged in July – “over 5,000 children under the age of five needed outpatient malnutrition treatment in early July alone”.
Meanehile, a shooting reported near an aid site in northern Gaza killed at least 13 people and wounded dozens, the report stated, quoting Gaza’s Emergency and Medical Services.
The Red Cross had in March said that it was “hugely disappointing” that the agency officials had yet to visit any hostages.
Ceasefire Talks Stall
Recent ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas to ensure peace in Gaza stalled amid exchange of hostilities. President Donald Trump’s Special envoy Steve Witkoff accused Hamas of lacking the “desire to reach a ceasefire.” Israeli officials, meanwhile, say images of the captives underscore Hamas’s rejection of a deal.
One Israeli official told CNN, “Netanyahu wants to combine freeing the hostages with humanitarian aid into areas outside combat zones… as much as possible, into areas not under Hamas control.”
Families Fear War Could Endanger Remaining Hostages
Hostage families have warned that further escalation could endanger the lives of around 50 hostages still believed to be alive in Gaza. A coalition of families accused Netanyahu of deception “if he relies solely on military action” to secure their release, calling it a “public fraud”, as reported by CNN.
They also condemned Hamas, stating the group has held “innocent people in impossible conditions for over 660 days.”
