Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar has publicly condemned the lack of international oversight regarding the remaining Israeli hostages, specifically highlighting that the Red Cross has not been granted access to the 50 captives. He noted that this is a direct violation of an explicit agreement, and it underscores the international community’s failure to protect the hostages. Sa’ar’s strong words followed the release of harrowing videos by Hamas.
The minister’s remarks were a powerful indictment of what he called a “sadistic propaganda campaign” orchestrated by Hamas. The videos showed two Israeli hostages, Evyatar David and Rom Braslavski, in a dire state, and Sa’ar asserted that their apparent starvation and torture were “deliberate and well-planned” tactics. He drew a sharp comparison between the actions of Hamas and the atrocities committed by the Nazis and ISIS, emphasizing the group’s inherent cruelty.
Sa’ar also took aim at international diplomatic efforts, claiming they have severely damaged the chances of a hostage deal. He argued that the push to recognize a Palestinian state has “assassinated the chances to reach a hostage deal” by essentially rewarding Hamas for their terror. He called these moves “immoral” and “politically foolish,” warning that they only embolden the terror group.
In an effort to reframe the global conversation, Sa’ar announced his upcoming trip to a special UN Security Council session in New York, a meeting he himself initiated. He plans to use this platform to expose hostage-taking as a global terror phenomenon and to call on the international community to take a strong, uncompromising stance against it. He warned against creating a “false symmetry” between the victims and the “murderers.”