Title: Disturbing Videos of Israeli Hostage Evyatar David Released by Hamas Amid Growing Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza
Two harrowing videos featuring Evyatar David, an emaciated Israeli hostage, have been released by Hamas following a recent meeting between U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and the families of those held captive. At just 24 years old, Evyatar appears skeletal, with visible shoulder blades and claims he has not eaten for three days. The distressing footage shows him seemingly digging his own grave in a dark underground tunnel.
Before his abduction from the Nova music festival on October 7, 2023, Evyatar worked in a restaurant, as highlighted in a video shared by Labour Friends of Israel. Since his capture, he has been held in captivity in Gaza, where it’s believed he is surviving on minimal rations of lentils and beans. The situation is dire, with the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) describing Gaza as experiencing "man-made mass starvation" due to Israel’s blockade on humanitarian aid.
In the first video, Evyatar, speaking from an underground location, states, "I haven’t eaten for three days." The subtitles reveal his grim reality: "There’s not enough food. I barely get drinking water." He recounts what he ate in July, marked on a handmade calendar affixed to the wall of the tunnel where he is being kept.
As he continues to speak under duress, Evyatar expresses that he is given whatever food is available, and the video concludes with him digging a hole, with subtitles reading, "This is the grave where I think I’m going to be buried in. Time is running out." The emotional toll is evident as he breaks down, resting his head against his arm while still clutching a shovel.
Evyatar’s family has released a heartbreaking statement, declaring, "We are forced to witness our beloved son and brother, Evyatar David, deliberately and cynically starved in Hamas’s tunnels in Gaza—a living skeleton, buried alive." They urge both Israel and the international community to condemn Hamas’s cruelty and ensure Evyatar receives the nutrition he desperately needs. They emphasize that the intentional starvation and abuse of Evyatar for propaganda purposes violates humanitarian law and basic human decency.
Meanwhile, U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff visited a site where the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), backed by the U.S. and Israel, has been distributing food in Gaza. This controversial initiative has faced significant backlash, including condemnation from the UK government, following fatal incidents since its inception. According to the United Nations’ human rights office, at least 859 people have died near GHF aid sites since late May, with the Israel Defense Forces denying any intentional harm to civilians and placing blame on Hamas militants.
The United Nations’ Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IFSPC) has warned of a "worst-case scenario of famine" affecting the besieged enclave, with over 20,000 children treated for acute malnutrition since April. Families of the 50 hostages still in Gaza fear that they, too, may be starving, holding Hamas responsible for their plight. In a tragic update, Gaza’s health ministry reported that seven more Palestinians have died from malnutrition-related causes in the past 24 hours, including a child.
As the humanitarian crisis in Gaza escalates, the plight of hostages like Evyatar David continues to draw international attention and concern.
