Disturbing Videos Of Israeli Hostages Spark Protests At Tel Avivs ‘Hostage Square'
The videos, released by militant groups Hamas and the Palestinians, depicted Israeli hostages Evyatar David and Rom Braslavski in a visibly fragile state, sparking widespread outrage and concern. The undated footage of David is juxtaposed with images of starving Palestinian children.
They are among fifty hostages that remain in the territory, at least 20 of whom are believed to be alive, as per CNN.
The videos were released as ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas have stalled, and Palestinians in Gaza face a mounting starvation crisis.
According to CNN, the United States' special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, attended the protest in Tel Aviv, one day after visiting a controversial US-backed aid distribution site in the Gaza Strip.
Witkoff later held a nearly three-hour meeting with around 40 representatives of the hostage families, which was described as "very emotional".
During the meeting, Witkoff emphasised that ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas should be "all or nothing," with all 50 hostages in Gaza being returned to Israel in one go.
"The plan is not to expand the war, but to end it. We think the negotiations should be changed to all or nothing. End the war and bring all 50 hostages home at the same time - that's the only way," Witkoff reportedly said.
"Someone will be to blame" if the remaining living hostages do not return to Israel still alive, Witkoff said, according to the forum.
According to the forum, Witkoff said that the US will "get your children home and hold Hamas responsible for any bad acts on their part" and "do what's right for the Gazan people."
"We have a plan to end the war and bring everyone home," he reportedly added.
The hostage families, who have frequently said that ongoing fighting in Gaza endangers their loved ones - on Saturday called for an end to the war in the territory and a "comprehensive deal" that would see the remaining hostages freed.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
7 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Could Donald Trump be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize?
Claiming that US President Donald Trump had 'ended conflicts', including those between India and Pakistan, and Thailand and Cambodia, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has said it was 'well past time' that he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. During a press briefing on Thursday (July 31), Leavitt said Trump brokered, on average, about one peace deal or ceasefire per month during his six months in office since January. This is not the first time that Trump supporters have made such calls, even as his track record is debatable, at best. For one, New Delhi has countered his repeated claims of mediation. US President Donald Trump posts, '… I won't get a Nobel Peace Prize for this (Treaty between the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the Republic of Rwanda), I won't get a Nobel Peace Prize for stopping the War between India and Pakistan, I won't get a Nobel Peace Prize for… — ANI (@ANI) June 20, 2025 Still, that has not stopped the likes of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and the governments of Pakistan and Cambodia, from saying they would nominate him. So, can a country actually nominate another world leader for the prize, whose previous nominees include Mahatma Gandhi and, briefly, Adolf Hitler? Is there an eligibility criterion? And would it be unusual for a US President to win the honour? Theoretically, yes, depending on the outcomes of the nomination process. The first stage for any category of the Nobel Prize involves nominations. A range of people — university professors, former Nobel winners in that category, etc. — are deemed eligible by the respective Nobel Committee to submit a nomination for that award. The Norwegian Nobel Committee, which is responsible for awarding the Peace Prize, consists of five individuals appointed by the Norwegian parliament, who are often politicians. Heads of state and members of national assemblies and national governments can send nominations for the Peace Prize. The nominations are sifted through to make a list of valid nominations. For instance, Swedish Parliamentarian and Social Democrat, Erik Brandt, sent a letter to the Norwegian Nobel Committee, nominating Adolf Hitler for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1939. However, it was meant to be ironic and eventually withdrawn. The Nobel committee then creates a shortlist, external consultants research those candidates, and the committee finally makes its choice after discussions. The entire process takes eight months, and the full list of nominees is made public 50 years after the submission. Officially, the Nobel website states that the will of Alfred Nobel, the inventor who instituted the prize, mentioned a broad criterion. The prize was to be awarded to the person 'who shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses'. Over time, the definition of peace has included areas such as gender equality and non-proliferation of nuclear weapons. Yes. In 1906, Theodore Roosevelt received the Peace Prize for having negotiated peace in the Russo-Japanese war in 1904-05, becoming the first US President to be honoured with the award. Woodrow Wilson won in 1920, for his efforts in ending the First World War and helping in creating the League of Nations, which was the precursor to the United Nations. Jimmy Carter won in 2002, for working to find 'peaceful solutions to international conflicts, advancing democracy and human rights, and promoting economic and social development.' US Vice President Al Gore (during Bill Clinton's tenure) was awarded in 2007, for his efforts to obtain and spread knowledge about climate change. The next year, then US President Barack Obama won the prize in a controversial decision, as he had yet to complete even a year of his presidency. The official citation said it was 'for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples'. Obama himself acknowledged the elephant in the room during his winning speech, saying, 'I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge the considerable controversy that your generous decision has generated. In part, this is because I am at the beginning, and not the end, of my labours on the world stage. Compared to some of the giants of history who've received this prize… my accomplishments are slight.' In Trump's case, he has frequently lamented not being awarded the prize, and world leaders hoping to develop a deeper relationship with the United States have picked up on the concern. Last month, as leaders of five African nations — Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mauritania and Senegal — met Trump in Washington to discuss a trade deal, they spoke positively about the possibility of a nomination.
The Hindu
37 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Pakistan supports Iran's right to develop nuclear capability for peaceful purposes
I Pakistan on Sunday (August 3, 2025) supported Iran's right to develop nuclear capability for peaceful purposes, as the two sides signed several agreements to expand cooperation in multiple fields. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, who arrived in Islamabad on Saturday (August 2, 2025), met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at his official residence. At a joint press conference following their meeting, Mr. Sharif emphasised that Iran has the right to the peaceful use of nuclear energy, which has been at the centre of the ongoing tensions with Israel. "Pakistan stands with Iran for the acquisition of peaceful nuclear power," he said. Interestingly, Mr. Sharif's remarks come amid heightened tensions between Iran and the US, which has designated Pakistan a "major non-NATO ally", over Tehran's nuclear programme. In June, Israel and the U.S. launched coordinated airstrikes on key Iranian nuclear facilities. Iran suspended cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) following the attacks. During the press conference, Mr. Sharif condemned "Israeli aggression" against Iran and expressed solidarity with Tehran's right to self-defence. He criticised Israel's actions in Gaza and called upon the international community, particularly Muslim nations, to address the ongoing human rights violations in the region. Mr. Sharif said the two sides have signed several MoUs and made commitments and hoped that they would soon be transformed into agreements. He said Pakistan and Iran are aiming to achieve the target of $10 billion in annual trade. The two leaders also discussed issues related to terrorism and agreed to strengthen cooperation to combat militancy along their shared border. President Pezeshkian, in his remarks, said that the MoUs signed also included one about finalisation of the free trade agreement at the earliest between the two sides. According to state-run Radio Pakistan, Pakistan and Iran exchanged 12 agreements and MoUs in the presence of Sharif and Pezeshkian. The agreements and MoUs included cooperation in trade, agriculture, science, technology and innovation, information and communications, culture, art, tourism, climate, and maritime safety. Increase bilateral trade to $8 billion annually Pakistan and Iran agreed to increase bilateral trade to $8 billion annually, taking advantage of their geography and the 'discount of distance,' as Trade Ministers from the two countries held discussions to deepen economic and political ties. The agreement was reached during a meeting between Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan and Iranian Minister for Industry, Mines and Trade Mohammad Atabak on the sidelines of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian's two-day state visit to Pakistan. A statement by the Commerce Ministry said the high-level discussion between Khan and Atabak marked a renewed commitment from both sides to accelerate trade, remove border bottlenecks, and build trust-based partnerships across priority sectors. '[During the meeting], Kamal envisioned that, if fully leveraged, bilateral trade between Pakistan and Iran could easily exceed USD 5–8 billion annually in the coming years,' the Ministry said. Before departing from Tehran, Mr. Pezeshkian had said Iran and Pakistan have always maintained 'good, sincere, and deep relations' and plan to increase bilateral trade volume to $10 billion annually. During Sunday's (August 3, 2025) meeting, emphasis was placed on maximising the potential of neighbourhood trade, with Mr. Khan highlighting how ASEAN countries have benefited enormously by trading within their region. 'Geography is an advantage. Pakistan and Iran must utilise this discount of distance. If we don't, we lose both time and cost benefits,' he stated. The Pakistani Minister suggested organising targeted trade delegations that include representatives from federal and provincial chambers of commerce, enabling focused discussions on market access and regulatory facilitation, according to the statement. 'We've done this model successfully in Belarus and elsewhere,' he was quoted in the statement as saying. 'Let's do the same for Iran, starting with sectors that show the greatest potential for mutual benefit.' The ministers also expressed a shared commitment to increasing the use of existing trade corridors and border facilities. Mr. Atabak also highlighted ongoing discussions about increasing Pakistani exports to Iran and encouraged swift follow-up on newly signed agreements. 'Traders and industrialists in both countries are ready. They trust each other. What they need now is a clear and consistent facilitation mechanism from our side,' he noted. Mr. Khan said that beyond bilateral gains, such connectivity could expand to Turkey, Central Asia, Russia, and even parts of West Asia, creating an economic bloc of substantial power and resilience. Mr. Atabak supported the idea of holding a dedicated B2B day during every high-level visit and offered to bring Iranian business groups to Pakistan for in-depth meetings, the statement said. Both Ministers agreed on the importance of identifying specific sectors such as agriculture, livestock, services, energy, and cross-border logistics for future collaboration, the statement said. 'With high-level political alignment and mutual trust, Pakistan and Iran appear poised to enter a new phase of strategic economic partnership that could reshape regional trade dynamics,' it added.
Indian Express
37 minutes ago
- Indian Express
‘Digging my own grave': Hamas releases video of ‘living skeleton' Israeli hostage
The family of Evyatar David, a 24-year-old Israeli hostage held by Hamas in Gaza, saw him for the first time in months on Friday evening. In a video released by Hamas, David appeared skeletal, hollow-eyed, and barely able to speak. He was shown digging what he described as his own grave in an underground tunnel. 'I haven't eaten for days… I barely got drinking water,' he says in faint Hebrew, his voice faltering. 'What I'm doing now is digging my own grave… Every day my body becomes weaker. I'm walking directly to my grave.' The video has sent waves of fear through Israeli society, especially among the families of the 49 hostages still believed to be in Gaza nearly two years after the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack that left 1,200 Israelis dead. David was among the 251 hostages taken that day, abducted from the Nova music festival in southern Israel. His family accused Hamas of using starvation as a weapon of war and propaganda. '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,' the family said in a statement on Saturday. 'They are on the absolute brink of death,' his brother Ilay added at a Tel Aviv rally, calling on the international community to act. 'Evyatar is my little brother, a kind, gentle soul whose only 'crime' was celebrating at a music peace festival.' The rally, one of the largest in recent weeks, drew thousands of Israelis demanding the release of the remaining hostages. 'Our brothers are turning into skin and bones at this very moment,' said Einav Zangauker, whose son Matan is also believed to be held in Gaza. Saturday's footage of David was Hamas's second video in two days. It followed the release of another hostage video by Palestinian Islamic Jihad, which showed Israeli captive Rom Braslavski. David had last been seen in March, watching silently as other hostages were freed during a temporary ceasefire. Hamas has faced increasing scrutiny and criticism for the release of these videos. Human rights experts speculate that they could amount to war crimes, while United Nations investigators have previously said that hostage taking, mistreatment and psychological torture by Hamas violate international law. Ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas remain precarious. Last month, negotiations held in Doha collapsed without a breakthrough with Israel demanding the release of all hostages before considering a halt to their offences. Hamas in turn has refused to disarm without the establishment of a sovereign Palestinian state. Until then, leadership has reenforced its commitment to armed resistance. US President Donald Trump's Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, met with hostage families in Tel Aviv on Saturday and said the Trump team believes they can secure a deal to bring all hostages home. 'President Trump now believes that everybody ought to come home at once — no piecemeal deals. That doesn't work,' Witkoff said, according to Axios. The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had spoken with the families of both David and Braslavski on Saturday. Despite increasing international criticism of Israel's military campaign in Gaza, the government has remained firm on its conditions for a ceasefire. Meanwhile, aid into Gaza continues to trickle in slowly. UN-backed food security experts say the 'worst-case scenario of famine' is now unfolding. Hamas has referenced this crisis in its hostage videos, attempting to draw parallels between starving Palestinians and starving hostages. David's family called for the humanitarian aid now entering Gaza through airdrops and UN convoys to also be directed toward the captives. 'The thought of his pain, his hunger, his fear in those dark tunnels — it haunts my every waking moment,' Ilay said.
