Hamas’s the Qassam Brigades posted a video of an Israeli hostage showing signs of starvation and severe weight loss ignites anger in Israel

The al Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, released a video on Friday of an Israeli hostage, shows him suffering from severe weight loss as a result of Israel’s ongoing starvation policy against the Gaza Strip, which coincides with the ongoing genocidal war that has been ongoing for nearly 22 months.

In the video posted on its Telegram channel, the Qassam Brigades said that this hostage (Evyatar David) was “waiting to be released in a prisoner exchange deal”.

In the video, the Israeli hostage is seen sitting on a bed in a cramped room, showing signs of starvation and malnutrition.

His ribs are prominently visible due to severe weight loss, a scene that reflects an aspect of Israel’s ongoing starvation policy in Gaza.

The video included previous footage of the hostage sitting in a car with another hostage, watching the release of their fellow hostages during the recent ceasefire and exchange agreement, which took effect last January and was evaded by Israel in March.

In the video, in Arabic, English, and Hebrew, the Qassam Brigades said, “the Israeli prisoners it holds eat what we eat and drink what we drink”.

The video was accompanied with footage of children from Gaza showing signs of malnutrition as a result of Israel’s continued starvation policy.

On the other hand, Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid attacked Benjamin Netanyahu’s government on Friday after the Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, released the video of Evyatar David.

“Every member of the government should watch Evyatar’s video today before going to sleep, and try to fall asleep while thinking of Evyatar David trying to survive inside the tunnel,” Lapid wrote on X.

In the same context, the Israeli official broadcasting authority quoted Galia David, the mother of the aforementioned prisoner, as saying, “I am devastated, but I have one certainty: my son is alive, Evyatar is alive,” noting that this was the first time she had dared to watch a recording of him.

A number of families of detained hostages and former hostages’ detainees have called on the government, led by Benjamin Netanyahu, to conclude an immediate deal to free their children from the suffering they face in Gaza.