Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Hamas of not wanting a ceasefire contract and called for the international Red Cross to bring food and medical care to hostages held in Gaza.
Tens of thousands of protesters joined the rally in Tel Aviv on Saturday evening – some carrying placards read as “Stop the war” and “No one left” – they called for Netanyahu to launch a deal to release Israeli hostages still held in Gaza.
Last week, a video released by extremist groups Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad showed hostages Eviyata David and Rom Braslavsky in visibly vulnerable states.
On Sunday, Israel’s International Red Cross (ICRC) and the occupying territory said it was “applauseful” by video, urging that “the dire situation must end.”
Several world leaders also denounced videos of Israeli hostages, French President Emmanuel Macron described them as “unbearable,” while German Prime Minister Friedrich Merz said “it shows Hamas has no role in Gaza’s future.”
Netanyahu’s office said on Sunday that the prime minister spoke to Julian Lelison, head of the Red Cross delegation in the region, demanding “involvement in the immediate provision of food and medical care to hostages.”
The office also repeated Netanyahu’s denial this week that starvation is spreading in enclaves despite an unresolved Food Security Agency warning that a “worst-scene hunger scenario” is unfolding in Gaza.
Hamas says he is ready to “actively deal with” the Red Cross’s demands to deliver food and medicine to hostages, but only on the condition that humanitarian corridors are open in Gaza.
The terrorist group claims that the hostage debilitating state reflects the worsened state of the strip. However, other hostages released in the past appeared similarly gay and frail at release, explaining malnutrition in captivity.
Abu Obeida, a spokesman for the Al-Kassam Brigade, Hamas military division, said this weekend that the group would not intentionally starve hostages, and would eat the same food as Hamas fighters and Gaza’s population generals. “They will not receive any special privileges in the crimes of starvation and siege,” he added.
Izat al-Rashik, a member of Hamas Politburo, described the image as “a critical response to everyone who denied the existence of Gaza hunger.”
The World Health Organization warned last week that deaths related to Gaza malnutrition were spiked in July, the latest indication of an worsening hunger crisis. The agency said the rate of malnutrition in Enclave reached “amazing levels,” with over 5,000 children, less than five, were seen in outpatient treatment for malnutrition in the first two weeks of July.
Gazan also faces fatal dangers when trying to gather help from distribution sites where violent clashes can erupt. On Sunday, a shooting incident near an aid scene in northern Gaza killed at least 13 people and left dozens of injuries, according to Gaza Emergency and Medical Services.
Allowing access to the Red Cross is a shift for Hamas, previously opposed access to hostages by humanitarian groups. The ICRC, which only promoted the release of previous hostages during the war, said in March it emphasized that it was “very disappointing” and not because of no attempt to visit previous hostages.
The recent ceasefire talks have brought little fruit to mind when Israeli-US negotiators reminiscent of last month’s negotiations. Steve Witkoff, the US Special Envoys group at the time, criticising Hamas for its poor adjustments and “the lack of desire to reach a ceasefire,” and said the US would consider “alternative options.”
On Sunday, Netanyahu cited the latest images of Hamas prisoners as evidence of malicious intent. “When I see this, I know exactly what Hamas wants. They don’t want a deal. They want to break us with these horrible videos.
Israeli leaders are now “seeking the release of hostages through Hamas’ military defeat,” Israeli officials told CNN on Sunday.
“We’re talking with Americans. There’s a growing understanding that Hamas is not interested in dealing,” the official added that Netanyahu would like to combine hostage release.
As Israel’s war in Gaza was crushed, it faced an increase in resistance from the Israeli masses, increasing frustration with the fate of the remaining hostages.
More than 70% of Israelis supported negotiations with Hamas to end the battle and to withdraw Israeli people in exchange for the release of the remaining hostages, according to a vote released by the Israeli Institute for Democracy during the March ceasefire. Fifty hostages remain in Gaza, of which at least 20 are believed to be alive.
Hostage families have repeatedly urged Netanyahu to sign a contract, warning that the Red Cross aid alone is not enough and that further expansion of the fighting in Gaza could put the lives of the remaining hostages at risk.
“Netanyahu is preparing all the biggest deceptions. The repeated claims to release hostages through military victory are lies and fraud,” the Israeli Hostages and Missing Family Forum said in a statement Sunday.
The group also denounced Hamas, saying, “We cannot hide the fact that we deal with evil terrorist groups that have had innocent people under impossible conditions for more than 660 days.”
Hamas publicly claims he is still committed to hostage release talks, but only if Gaza conditions first improve. The group recently stopped engaging in discussions about ceasefires and hostage releases. Two sources familiar with the issue told CNN last week.
“It is essential to significantly improve the catastrophic humanitarian situation and get written responses from our enemies regarding our response,” Bass Naim, a senior political officer at Hamas, also told CNN.
“This is a condition for us to return to negotiations.”
