Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed “profound shock” on August 2, 2025, in response to videos released by Hamas and Islamic Jihad that showed two emaciated hostages held in Gaza since the October 7, 2023, attack.
The footage features 21-year-old Rom Braslavski, a dual national from Germany and Israel, and 24-year-old Evyatar David. This revelation has sparked outrage in Israel and intensified calls for an immediate truce and a hostage release deal after nearly 22 months of war.
In a statement from Netanyahu’s office, he assured the families of hostages that efforts to bring all captives home are ongoing. Earlier that day, tens of thousands gathered in Tel Aviv, urging the government to prioritise the release of the remaining hostages.
إن ظهر أطفال غزة بهياكل عظمية بسبب المجاعة التي تسببت بها إسرائيل في قطاع غزة، فإن جنودهم الأسرى سيظهرون بالشكل ذاته، وسيعانون المعاناة نفسها.
مما يأكله أطفالنا، سيأكله جنودهم.
العين بالعين، وهذا ما هو متاح للجميع
المقاومة تنشر فيديو لأسير إسرائيلي في قبضتها. pic.twitter.com/1WmIvqjy7t
— Tamer | تامر (@tamerqdh) August 1, 2025The videos depict the hostages in weakened states, with David shown digging what he described as his own grave in a staged scene. They reference Gaza’s dire humanitarian conditions, where UN experts have warned of an unfolding famine amid Israel’s restrictions on aid entry. Gaza, under blockade for 15 years before the war, has seen desperate Palestinians risk their lives for food, with nine killed on August 3 at a US- and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) site near Rafah, per Gaza’s civil defence agency. Five more died near another GHF site in central Gaza, with Israeli attacks killing another five elsewhere, according to spokesman Mahmud Bassal.
Israeli newspapers such as Maariv and Yedioth Ahronoth featured front pages highlighting the “hell in Gaza,” describing David as “malnourished, emaciated, and desperate.” Haaretz criticised Netanyahu for extending the war for political gain.
رسالة الجندي الأسير "روم بارسلافسكي" إلى نتنياهو وحكومته:
"لماذا تنكلون بالأطفال؟ ما ذنبهم؟
أرجوكم أدخلوا الطعام… نحن نموت من الجوع."
ويحمل نتنياهو المسؤولية عن حياته. pic.twitter.com/Wae5c08FzX
— همام شعلان || H . Shaalan (@osSWSso) July 31, 2025Braslavski and David are among 49 hostages still held in Gaza, with 27 believed dead by the Israeli military. Most of the 251 seized in the October 7 attack, which killed 1,219 per Israeli figures, have been released during short truces. Israel’s Gaza campaign has killed at least 60,430, mostly civilians, per Gaza’s health ministry, deemed reliable by the UN.
The EU demanded the release of all captives. An AFP journalist on a French aid airdrop flight witnessed widespread destruction in northern Gaza, with neighbourhoods levelled. The Palestine Red Crescent Society reported one staff member killed in an Israeli attack on its Khan Yunis headquarters.
Read: Hamas Rejects Disarmament Claims in Gaza Ceasefire Talks
The hostage videos and Netanyahu’s response highlight the human cost of the prolonged conflict, amplifying calls for a truce. With international pressure mounting, including from the EU, these developments could influence negotiations. For accurate updates on the Israel-Gaza conflict, rely on trusted sources to avoid misinformation.
