In a harrowing video released Friday by Hamas and approved for publication by his family the following day, Israeli hostage Evyatar David is seen pale, emaciated, and trembling, forced to dig what he fears may be his own grave inside a Gaza tunnel. The shocking footage, combined with desperate pleas from his family and mounting international pressure, has cast renewed urgency on stalled hostage negotiations and raised grave questions about the treatment of captives held by terror groups since the brutal October 7, 2023 massacre.
David, a young Israeli man abducted from the Nova music festival near Re’im during Hamas’s unprecedented assault on southern Israel, appears barely alive in the footage. His ribs protrude through his skin, his eyes are sunken, and his voice is frail. “This is the grave I think I’m going to be buried in,” he says at one point. “Time is running out. You are the only ones who can end this.”
His family, visibly distraught, released a statement on Saturday: “We are forced to witness our dear son and brother Evyatar being deliberately and cynically starved in Hamas’s tunnels in Gaza — a living skeleton buried alive. Our son has only a few days left to live in his current condition.”
David’s footage paints a bleak portrait of conditions in Hamas captivity. In scenes inside a cramped tunnel — barely tall enough for him to stand — David is seen crossing off dates on a makeshift calendar etched into the wall, marking the sparse days when he received food. He describes eating only beans and lentils, sometimes going multiple days without a single meal. At one point, he is handed a small can. “This can is for two days. This whole can is for two days so that I don’t die,” he says with eerie composure.
His voice grows fainter as he states: “I haven’t eaten for a few days in a row. I am in very, very difficult conditions… You can see how thin I am.”
The family has called on President Donald Trump, the Israeli government, and the global community to intervene immediately:
“We are begging the government of Israel, the people of Israel, every nation of the world, and especially President Trump: You must do everything in your power, by any means necessary, to save Evyatar and the rest of the hostages.”
U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff, sent by President Trump to handle hostage negotiations, addressed hundreds at Hostages Square in Tel Aviv on Saturday after the release of the video. “We now need to bring all of them home. We are very close to ending the war,” he said. “No more piecemeal deals. That doesn’t work. And we’ve tried everything.”
Witkoff pledged that hostage recovery is the top priority of the Trump administration:
“This is the most important thing President Trump asked me to work on, and I will work on it until my last breath,” he said. “We will get your children home and hold Hamas responsible for any bad acts on their part.”
He also claimed that the U.S. believes all remaining hostages in Gaza are alive — a powerful message meant to assure families holding out hope.
Deliberate Starvation Campaign?
According to a Channel 12 report, a senior Israeli source confirmed that Hamas is not lacking food, but is intentionally starving the hostages. “We know from testimony of returned hostages and our own intelligence that the captors themselves are well-fed. This is deliberate. It’s psychological warfare.”
Evyatar’s family echoed this sentiment:
“Hamas is using our son as a living experiment in a disgusting hunger campaign. Our Evyatar is being starved for propaganda purposes. There is no limit to the pain the Hamas terror group causes the hostages and the residents of Gaza.”
A Nation in Mourning: “Second Holocaust” and Mass Protest
The chilling footage of David, alongside a similarly disturbing video of hostage Rom Braslavski, ignited anguish across Israel. Hundreds gathered in Hostages Square on Saturday, where families erected a barbed wire protest camp to symbolize their loved ones’ captivity.
“Our children are undergoing a Holocaust,” said Einav Zangauker, mother of hostage Matan Zangauker. “Jews are becoming skin and bones because of political survival. If we don’t free them now, they won’t survive much longer.”
Anat Angrest, mother of a captive soldier, called the crisis a “complete failure” for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu:
“My father survived the Holocaust, and now his grandson is living through one — in color, on video. The 2025 Holocaust is being carried out by inaction.”
Hamas’s Narrative vs. Israel’s Defense
Hamas released the videos in conjunction with inflammatory statements blaming Israel for starvation in Gaza. The UN and several humanitarian agencies have expressed concern about hunger in the territory, while Israel has forcefully denied orchestrating any starvation campaign.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) say they have increased humanitarian corridors and implemented 10-hour ceasefires in various regions to allow aid distribution. Still, the Gaza Health Ministry — run by Hamas — claims over 60,000 deaths in the Strip, although this figure cannot be independently verified and includes both fighters and civilians.
Witkoff said Hamas has “expressed willingness to demilitarize,” although the group later issued a statement rejecting the idea:
“We will not disarm as long as the occupation exists,” Hamas declared, while also condemning U.S. efforts to increase humanitarian aid to Gaza.
Meanwhile, Netanyahu faces a fractured government, with far-right members calling for the complete razing of Gaza City and opposing any ceasefire-hostage deal. Critics allege the Prime Minister is delaying resolution for political gain.
In the midst of war, propaganda, and political calculations, Evyatar David’s haunted face, his trembling voice, and his forced shovel scraping the earth beneath him, have cut through the noise. His cry — and that of his family — now echoes across borders:
“This isn’t fiction. This is real.”
