Hamas Releases Disturbing Video of Israeli Hostage

Hamas shared a troubling propaganda video on Friday featuring Eviatar David, a 24-year-old Israeli captive, appearing distressed as he digs what he believes could be his grave.

The nearly five-minute footage depicts David inside a cramped tunnel, and at one point, he holds up a can of beans, stating, “This is the grave I think I will be buried in. Time is running out.”

David was taken by Hamas on October 7, 2023. His family, who allowed the release of this video, described it as “one of the most horrifying acts the world has seen.”

In response, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu remarked on the scale of Hamas’s atrocities. He noted, “While we allow humanitarian access to Gaza residents, Hamas deliberately starves our hostages and records their suffering.” He expressed concern over their manipulation of information against Israel.

In a poignant remark, Holocaust survivor Naphtali Fuest drew parallels between his experience at Auschwitz and David’s situation, recalling, “We were extremely hungry; we even ate grass. I remember the humiliation—an absolute deprivation of human dignity.”

US lawmakers, including Senators John Fetterman (D-PA) and Mike Lawler (R-NY), condemned the video, urging Hamas to release all hostages and bring an end to the conflict. Fetterman mentioned meeting David’s family, highlighting the horror they must feel upon seeing the video.

Lawler echoed these sentiments, expressing frustration over the lack of broader condemnation regarding the humanitarian crisis, stating, “Hamas is the primary source of devastation for both innocent Israelis and Palestinians.”

French Foreign Minister Jean Noel Barlot called for an end to the “despicable and unbearable” conditions faced by the hostages, insisting they should be released without preconditions and that Hamas should be disarmed.