Family Condemns Hamas Video Showing Emaciated Evyatar David
By Street News Team | August 2, 2025
The family of Evyatar David, a 24-year-old Israeli hostage held by Hamas in Gaza, has publicly condemned a recent video released by the group, describing it as a cruel act of propaganda. The footage, circulated by Hamas’s armed wing, the Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades, shows David in a severely emaciated state, confined in a narrow concrete tunnel. The video, released on Friday, August 1, 2025, has sparked outrage among the hostage’s family and drawn widespread attention to the ongoing crisis in Gaza.
In a statement released on Saturday, the David family expressed their anguish, stating, “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 accused Hamas of intentionally starving David to serve their propaganda campaign, calling it “one of the most horrifying acts the world has seen.” The family urged the Israeli government, world leaders, and the international community to take immediate action to ensure David receives urgent medical care and nutrition.
The video, which the family authorized for publication, shows David documenting his daily food intake, with entries often reading “no food” or listing minimal items like “lentils.” In a second video, dated July 27, 2025, David is seen in a weakened state, claiming he was forced to dig his own grave, a statement likely dictated by his captors. He directly addresses Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, expressing feelings of abandonment and pleading for rescue.
Evyatar David was abducted from the Nova music festival in southern Israel during the Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023, which killed over 1,200 people and saw more than 250 individuals taken hostage. The ongoing conflict has resulted in significant loss of life, with Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry reporting over 60,000 Palestinian deaths due to Israel’s military response.
The release of the video coincides with stalled ceasefire negotiations and worsening humanitarian conditions in Gaza. Hamas has claimed that hostages are suffering from the same food shortages as Gaza’s population, a situation exacerbated by Israeli restrictions on aid deliveries. The video juxtaposes David’s condition with images of starving Palestinian children, under the slogan, “They eat what we eat, they drink what we drink.” However, a senior Israeli official, quoted by Channel 12, countered that Hamas captors are deliberately starving hostages while having access to sufficient food themselves.
On Saturday, protests erupted in Tel Aviv’s “Hostage Square,” where families and supporters gathered to demand the release of the remaining 49 hostages still held in Gaza, including at least 20 believed to be alive. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum called for a “comprehensive deal” to end the war and secure the hostages’ freedom, emphasizing the dire conditions highlighted by the recent videos.
U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff, who visited Gaza and met with hostage families, reportedly advocated for an “all or nothing” approach to negotiations, aiming to secure the release of all hostages in a single deal to end the conflict. The David family echoed this urgency, demanding that humanitarian aid reaching Gaza through UN convoys and international airdrops also be extended to hostages like Evyatar.
The international community has responded with growing concern. Aid agencies have accused Israel of contributing to a looming famine in Gaza, a claim Israel denies, asserting that it is not restricting aid. Meanwhile, Hamas’s use of hostage videos as propaganda has been widely criticized as a violation of humanitarian law.
As the crisis continues, the David family’s plea resonates: “Israel and the international community must stand against Hamas’s cruelty and ensure Evyatar receives immediate nutrition.” The heartbreaking footage of Evyatar David serves as a stark reminder of the human toll of the ongoing conflict and the urgent need for a resolution.
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