Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar has publicly cautioned the international community against diplomatic efforts that he believes are effectively rewarding terror. He stated that the recognition of a Palestinian state has only hardened Hamas’s stance and has “assassinated the chances to reach a hostage deal.” Sa’ar’s strong remarks followed the distressing release of videos showing two Israeli captives, Evyatar David and Rom Braslavski, in a visibly poor state.
The minister condemned Hamas for what he called a “sadistic propaganda campaign,” asserting that the apparent starvation and torture of the hostages were a “deliberate and well-planned” tactic. He drew stark parallels between the terror group’s cruelty and the crimes committed by the Nazis and ISIS, emphasizing the extreme nature of their actions and their disregard for human life.
Sa’ar also expressed frustration with the lack of international oversight, highlighting the fact that the 50 remaining hostages have not been visited by the Red Cross, a clear violation of an explicit agreement. He further alleged that the starvation narrative in Gaza is a “fake propaganda campaign,” which he believes is disproven by the amount of humanitarian aid entering the region on a daily basis.
In a final message, Sa’ar announced his intention to travel to New York for a special UN Security Council session he initiated. He aims to use this platform to expose the dangers of hostage-taking as a global terror phenomenon and to urge the world to take a strong, unified stance against it. He concluded by accusing countries of creating a “false symmetry” between hostages and “murderers.”