In the footage, David, who appears skeletal and barely able to speak was seen digging his gravel in cramped Gaza tunnel
In a chilling propaganda video released by Hamas, 24-year-old Israeli hostage Evyatar David appears severely emaciated, forced to dig what he describes as his own grave in a cramped Gaza tunnel.
Captured during the October 7, 2023, attack on the Nova music festival in southern Israel, David’s frail condition has ignited global condemnation.
His family, who authorized the video’s release on Saturday, accused Hamas of using him as a tool in a cruel starvation campaign.
“Our beloved son is a living skeleton, buried alive in Hamas’s tunnels,” the family. stated, highlighting the dire circumstances of his captivity
The nearly five-minute clip shows David, visibly weakened, marking days on a calendar in a narrow, dimly lit tunnel.
He recounts surviving on minimal food, often just a can of beans or lentils meant to last days, and sometimes nothing at all.
“I haven’t eaten for days, and I barely get drinking water,” David says, his voice frail as he describes his ordeal.
The footage, deliberately edited by Hamas to juxtapose his suffering with images of starving Palestinian children, aims to pressure Israel amid stalled ceasefire talks.
In a heart-wrenching moment, David directly addresses Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, expressing feelings of abandonment.
“I was taught that Israel cares for its prisoners, but I feel completely forsaken by you,” he says, his words likely coerced by his captors who refer to hostages as “prisoners.”
The video’s final scene shows David, shovel in hand, digging into the sandy tunnel floor, stating, “This is the grave where I think I’ll be buried.”
His family condemned this as a violation of humanitarian law, calling it “one of the most horrifying acts the world has seen.”
The video’s release coincides with growing international scrutiny of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where aid agencies report severe food shortages.
Hamas’s tactic of showcasing David’s suffering alongside images of hungry Gazans has drawn sharp criticism.
Israeli officials, including Netanyahu, denounced the group’s actions, with the prime minister stating, “Hamas’s cruelty knows no bounds, deliberately starving hostages while preventing aid from reaching Gaza’s residents.”
The family urged global intervention, pleading, “Israel and the world must ensure Evyatar receives immediate nutrition to survive.”
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, advocating for the roughly 50 remaining hostages, emphasized the urgency of a resolution.
“This nightmare has lasted 666 days. Only a comprehensive ceasefire deal can bring Evyatar and others home,” the group declared on X.
As protests erupted in Tel Aviv’s Hostage Square, the video has intensified calls for action, with U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff stressing an “all-or-nothing” approach to secure the release of all hostages.
The international community faces mounting pressure to address both the hostage crisis and Gaza’s humanitarian plight, according to CNN reports.
