Relatives of Evyatar David, an Israeli held by Hamas in Gaza, have accused the group of intentionally starving him for “propaganda” purposes. This outcry came a day after Hamas released footage showing a frail David in a confined concrete tunnel. David, aged 24, has been a captive since being abducted by Hamas at a music festival in southern Israel on October 7, 2023. “We bear witness to our son and brother, Evyatar David, being cruelly starved to a skeletal state in Hamas’s Gaza tunnels,” the family expressed. They appealed to Israeli authorities and international bodies to make every effort to ensure David’s release.
In the video, David is heard describing his severe lack of food and water while he digs a grave for himself. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with the families of David and another hostage, Rom Braslavski, on Saturday. U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff also met with some hostages’ families. That evening, a large demonstration in Tel Aviv showed support for their freedom.
When Hamas launched an attack against Israel nearly two years ago, they captured 251 hostages. David remains one of the 49 hostages that Israel claims are still in Gaza, including 27 believed deceased. Israel faces accusations from aid organizations of inducing potential famine in Gaza by restricting food supplies in its conflict with Hamas, a charge it denies. Israel claims there’s “no starvation” and that it is allowing aid into Gaza—a statement disputed by its European allies, the UN, and other agencies in the region.
On Saturday, the Israel Defense Forces noted efforts to improve humanitarian aid, announcing the air drop of 90 food packages over Gaza in collaboration with the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Egypt, France, and Germany. At the same time, the Hamas-operated Gaza health ministry reported seven additional malnutrition deaths, including a child, bringing the total to 169 since the conflict began, 93 of whom are children. In Gaza, the ministry stated that at least 83 people had been killed and 1,079 injured due to Israeli military actions in the last day. Al-Awda Hospital in Nuseirat reported receiving bodies of those killed by Israeli forces near an aid distribution center on Salah al-Din Street, south of Wadi Gaza, managed by the US and Israeli-supported Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.
More than 36 individuals were purportedly injured. IDF claimed warning shots were fired hundreds of meters from the aid site outside operating hours, following noncompliance of a threatening crowd, stating no awareness of casualties from these shots. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation reported no activity at or near their locations on that day. Independent verification in Gaza is complicated by the restriction of international reporters, such as those from the BBC, from entering the area.
An extensive aid blockade on Gaza was enforced by Israel in March, coinciding with the resumption of military actions against Hamas after a short ceasefire, aiming to pressure the group’s release of hostages. Although this blockade was eased after 11 weeks amid famine warnings from global experts, vital shortages persist per aid organizations. Israel’s offensive in Gaza was a reaction to a Hamas-led assault on October 7, 2023, where nearly 1,200 Israelis died. Gaza’s Hamas-administered health ministry claims 60,430 lives have been lost during Israel’s military campaign.
