JERUSALEM — Hamas terrorist on Aug. 1 released a video featuring hostage Evyatar David, who was abducted from the Supernova music festival during the Oct. 7, 2023, massacre in southern Israel.
On August 2, David’s family issued a public statement after approving the publication of the full video.
“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,” it read.
“Our son has only a few days left to live in his current condition.
“Hamas is using our son as a live experiment in a vile hunger campaign.
“The deliberate starvation of our son as part of a propaganda campaign is one of the most horrifying acts the world has seen.
“He is being starved purely to serve Hamas’s propaganda.”
The intentional “starvation, torture and abuse” of David violate even “the lowest standards of humanitarian law and basic human decency.”
David’s family urged the Israeli government, the Israeli public, the international community and US President Donald Trump “to do everything possible to save Evyatar from death and ensure, by any means necessary, that he urgently receives food and medical care.”
“The humanitarian aid that the world, together with Israel, provides to the residents of Gaza must also reach Evyatar . . . We are in pain and we weep. There is no limit to the grief and cruelty we endure.”
Initially, the family approved the release of one still photo portraying David’s frail physical condition.
Former hostage Liri Albag posted online:
“I’m sitting here and I can’t stop crying . . . Seeing signs of life from Rom and Evyatar just before Friday dinner, knowing I have food on the table, knowing I made it out — and that it’s been six months since I was fortunate enough to return — while remembering where my brothers are and realizing they’re still there . . . it crushes me.”
On July 31, Palestinian Islamic Jihad released a video of hostage Rom Braslavski, who was also abducted on Oct. 7.
PIJ claimed the clip was recorded days before it said it lost contact with Braslavski’s captors last week, saying that his current condition is unknown.
“We are deeply shaken. People talk a lot about what is happening in Gaza — about hunger — and I want to ask everyone who spoke about hunger: Did you see our Rom?” the Braslavski family said.
Last February, Evyatar David and Guy Gilboa-Dalal were forced to watch their friends’ release ceremony from Gaza, with Hamas compelling the two men to attend inside a vehicle.
Days later, Evyatar’s brother, Ilay David, said that his family was not losing hope.
“I see in my mind Evyatar hugging my parents in tears, and I imagine us playing music as we did every week,” he said.
“I know that he holds on to the same things, and we just cannot lose hope.
We need to send them our prayers, hope, powers, energy and strength to give them the hope to continue and survive because eventually they will be home.”
On August 1, relatives of the 50 hostages still in Gaza held a demonstration at “Hostage Square” in Tel Aviv under the banner “Never Again.”
“This is the time for a comprehensive deal and an end to the war. No more delays. No more leaving them behind. Stop this nightmare and bring them out of the tunnels. Bring them home!” the families said.
US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff visited the families, who set up a barbed-wire camp to draw attention to their plight.
