Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called on the International Red Cross to urgently provide food and medical aid to hostages held in Gaza, amid growing outrage over recent videos showing two Israeli captives in visibly frail condition.
The plea comes as tens of thousands of Israelis took to the streets of Tel Aviv over the weekend, demanding the government secure the release of remaining hostages. Protesters carried placards reading “Stop the war” and “Leave no one behind,” urging Netanyahu to strike a deal with Hamas.
The humanitarian appeal follows videos released by Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad showing hostages Evyatar David and Rom Braslavski looking severely emaciated. The images triggered international condemnation, with French President Emmanuel Macron calling them “unbearable” and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stating that “Hamas should have no role in Gaza’s future.”
In a statement Sunday, Netanyahu’s office confirmed he spoke with Julien Lerisson, the Red Cross regional head, asking for immediate humanitarian access to the captives. However, Hamas has conditioned such access on the opening of humanitarian corridors in Gaza. The group claims the hostages’ appearance reflects Gaza’s worsening conditions, not mistreatment, insisting that all in the enclave, including fighters and hostages, face the same food shortages.
Meanwhile, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza continues to worsen. The World Health Organization reported a spike in malnutrition-related deaths in July, with over 5,000 children under five treated for severe malnutrition in just two weeks. On Sunday, at least 13 people were killed and dozens wounded in a shooting incident near an aid distribution site in northern Gaza.
Ceasefire negotiations remain deadlocked. Talks collapsed last month, with U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff blaming Hamas for “lack of desire to reach a ceasefire.” Netanyahu has since shifted focus toward a military solution, saying the hostage videos prove Hamas is acting in bad faith. However, families of the hostages have warned that further military escalation may endanger their loved ones.
“The claims of freeing hostages through military victory are a lie and a public fraud,” the Hostages and Missing Families Forum said in a statement. The group also condemned Hamas for holding innocent civilians under dire conditions for over 660 days.
Despite public insistence on a deal, Hamas has suspended engagement in ceasefire or hostage negotiations, demanding written guarantees for improved humanitarian conditions as a prerequisite.
As frustration mounts at home and humanitarian concerns deepen, the fate of the remaining 50 hostages, at least 20 of whom are believed to be alive, hangs in the balance.
Written By Rodney Mbua
