Western leaders condemn Hamas videos of captured hostages in Gaza
UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy condemned the footage as "sickening," saying, 'images of hostages being paraded for propaganda are sickening,' and reiterated the UK's call for their 'unconditional' release.
French President Emmanuel Macron called the videos a reflection of Hamas' 'abject cruelty,' and stressed that France continues to fight for their release, a ceasefire and increased humanitarian access.
"The absolute priority for France is the immediate release of all the hostages," Macron said.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he was 'appalled' and reiterated that the release of all hostages must precede any ceasefire agreement. "Israel will not reciprocate Hamas' cynicism and must continue to provide humanitarian aid," Merz added.
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, who returned from a trip to Israel and the Palestinian territories on Friday, also stated he was shocked by the "perfidity" of the hostages' "tormentors".
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas slammed the images as "appalling and expos(ing) the barbarity of Hamas", calling for the release of "all hostages ... immediately and unconditionally".
'Living skeleton buried alive'
The videos, released separately by Hamas and Islamic Jihad on Thursday, show Rom Braslavski, 21, and Evyatar David, 24, visibly weakened and in distress, according to BBC reports. Both were abducted from the Nova music festival on 7 October 2023 during the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel.
In the videos, Braslavski, crying, said he had eaten just 'three crumbs of falafel' and was unable to stand. David, also visibly malnourished, was filmed digging what he described as his own grave. His relatives accused Hamas of deliberately starving him, describing him as 'a living skeleton, buried alive.'
'I haven't eaten for days… I barely got drinking water,' he said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the footage as 'profoundly shocking' and pledged to the hostages' families that efforts to secure their release 'will continue constantly and relentlessly.'
On Sunday, he also urged the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to intervene to provide food and medical support to those still in captivity.
The ICRC said it was 'appalled' by the footage, which it called 'stark evidence of the life-threatening conditions' the hostages are facing. The organisation renewed its call for immediate access to assess their condition, offer care and facilitate contact with their families.
During the weekend, individuals gathered in Tel Aviv in a protest led by the families of hostages. Speaking at the rally, the families of Braslavski and David demanded urgent action: 'Everyone must get out of hell, now.'
'They managed to break Rom. He has simply been forgotten there,' Braslavski's family said in a statement appealing directly to Israeli and US leaders.
Hamas's military wing, the al-Qassam Brigades, denied intentionally starving the captives, claiming that hostages receive the same food as fighters and civilians amid the hunger crisis in Gaza.
The group said it would 'respond positively' to Red Cross aid deliveries if humanitarian corridors are opened and airstrikes are paused during those deliveries, news sources reported.
A total of 49 hostages remain in Gaza, with 27 presumed to be dead, according to available information.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Euronews
an hour ago
- Euronews
No, French President Emmanuel Macron's approval rating is not 7%
A poll doing the rounds on social media claims that only 7% of French citizens trust President Emmanuel Macron. Politicians from the French far-right National Rally (RN) party are among the most prominent figures sharing the post. "93% of French people are lucid, thankfully", wrote Bruno Bilde, who serves as a member of the National Assembly for the National Rally. Fellow MP and RN member Julien Odoul asked his followers: "Who are these 7% of fanatic Macronistes?" Checking recent polls In late July, a poll commissioned by French broadcaster LCI said Macron's approval rating was 28%, while a recent survey published by newspaper Les Echos put it at 21%. Although pollsters use different methods, which can lead to inconsistent results, these latest surveys from reputable sources suggest that 7% is a suspiciously low percentage. A closer look at the top-right corner of the image circulating online reveals the logo of Le Figaro: a French conservative daily newspaper. EuroVerify did not detect any social media posts where Le Figaro stated that Macron's approval rating was 7%. However, we did find a near identical post by Le Figaro shared on X in October 2024, yet here Macron's trust rating was 17% — not 7%. The original image posted by Le Figaro has been manipulated, as the number "1" preceding the "7%" has been erased, in a bid to deceive online users. Dwindling trust in Macron Although the French population's trust in their president may not be as low as 7%, confidence in Macron has dwindled, especially over the course of his second term. This has been influenced by a range of factors, including his dissolution of the National Assembly in June 2024 after the far-right surged in the European elections, as well as his government's more recent plans for 2026 budgetary cuts. The next French presidential elections are set to take place in 2027; however, the country's constitution bars Macron — who has remained vague about his future plans — from running again.
Euronews
2 hours ago
- Euronews
Israel's PM Netanyahu says decision made for full occupation of Gaza
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed on Monday that a decision has been made for the full occupation of the Gaza Strip, including military operations in areas where hostages are believed to be held. "We're committing to free Gaza from the tyranny of these terrorists," Netanyahu said in a video address posted on X. "Many Gazans come to us and they say 'Help us be free. Help us be free of Hamas.' and that's what we will do." The Prime Minister's Office also said in a message to the Chief of Staff, Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, "If this does not suit you, then you should resign." Netanyahu and Zamir have been at odds with the way the war in Gaza is being fought, with those tensions "having reached their peak" on Monday, according to a report on Israeli Army Radio. Netanyahu's announcement comes after months of faltering talks in Qatar between Israel and Hamas as mediators scramble to overcome hurdles from both sides and reach a ceasefire and hostage release deal as the humanitarian situation in the Strip deteriorates. Gaza Security and Recovery Program No other details were given about what the plans for a post-war Gaza would look like, but they could match those in a document seen by Euronews dated December 2023. That proposal, in the form of a 32-page academic paper titled "Gaza Security and Recovery Program, How Should The Day After Look Like," was authored by the Israel Defence and Security Forum, a group of over 35,000 Israeli security force reservists and the think tank Jerusalem Centre for Security and Foreign Affairs. The study was presented to the Israeli government at an unknown date and represents one of the future options currently under consideration by Israel for the Gaza Strip, according to officials who spoke to Euronews. The proposal depicts what "the day after" should look like in the scenario of the fall of Hamas. It entails economic reconstruction, building infrastructure and, as the authors of the study say, "uprooting a murderous ideology," also labelled as a process of "de-Nazification." "In order to prepare for the new state of affairs, even though the results of the military operation have not yet been achieved, it is necessary to prepare an orderly plan for the control of the Gaza Strip after the fall of Hamas," the document reads. The plan explicitly excludes the sovereignty of Palestine, or more specifically the Palestinian Authority (PA), or the presence of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) as a source for humanitarian aid. "No less serious is the foolhardy idea of establishing a Palestinian state in Gaza," the document reads. However, it is not said in the document whether Israel intends to annex the Strip, although it is clearly stated that Israeli military (IDF) wants to have a greater say in the overall administration of Gaza's affairs. The document's authenticity was confirmed by one senior government official who talked to Euronews on the condition of anonymity to avoid interfering with the government's work, as well as Ohad Tal and Simcha Rothman, two Knesset members of the far-right National Religious Party, which is part of the ruling coalition. "The contents in this paper are part of the plans the government is looking at, they are on the table," the senior government official confirmed to Euronews. The official specified that it is not a "finalised plan," however, it is "definitely part of the scenarios that are on the table." "This plan is on the table and consistent with the direction the government is going," Tal confirmed. Rothman told Euronews that, while the plan remains a "moving target," the framework outlined criteria, such as "elimination of Hamas, no PA (Palestinian Authority) presence in Gaza, no Palestinian state, no UNWRA, (are) consistent with my approach and to the best of my knowledge, with the approach of the government." Rebuttal from Sa'ar Netanyahu's comments on Monday contradict those of Israel's Foreign Minister, Gideon Sa'ar, who told Euronews last month that Israel doesn't have "any intention" of controlling Gaza long term. "We don't have any intention to do so," Sa'ar said. "With regard to the Gaza Strip, we have only security concerns." "We [will] implement (President) Trump's plan, it is a good plan and makes a difference, and it means something very simple, that the residents of Gaza who want to leave can leave," Netanyahu said, referring to a proposal floated by Trump of resettling all of Gaza's population in other countries. That plan was met with horror by regional countries and international humanitarian groups, who said the forced resettlement of the population would be a violation of international law. Trump said he had plans to re-develop Gaza in the "Riviera of the Middle East" with upmarket resort hotels and shopping malls.
LeMonde
2 hours ago
- LeMonde
German trial reveals far-right AfD party's ties with Beijing
What did the Chinese authorities learn about the far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party? That question lies at the heart of the trial that opened on Tuesday, August 5, before the Higher Regional Court of Dresden (Saxony). The defendant is a former aide to ex-MEP Maximilian Krah, the AfD's lead candidate in the 2024 European elections and now a member of the Bundestag, Germany's federal parliament. The exposure of information transmitted to Beijing by this former parliamentary assistant – who holds both German and Chinese citizenship – could plunge the AfD, which came second in the German legislative elections of February 23 with nearly 21% of the vote, into further turmoil. Infighting within the party, the private lives of its leaders, bribes: From 2019 to 2024, Jian G. allegedly passed on everything he knew, read and heard about the AfD to Chinese intelligence services, even going so far as to hand over European Parliament documents considered "sensitive." Since his arrest in April 2024, German investigators have interviewed several AfD officials. All accused Jiang G. of spreading false information – "a compilation of rumors (...) having nothing to do with reality," Krah said.
