Hamas 'ready' to receive aid for Israeli hostages, as 'appalling' videos of Israeli captive criticised

Sky News

a day ago

Hamas has said it is ready to cooperate with a request to deliver food to Israeli hostages in Gaza, if Israel agrees to permanently open a humanitarian corridor into the enclave.
The militant group's statement comes amid international outcry over two videos it released of Israeli hostage Evyatar David, who it has held captive since 7 October 2023.
The now 24-year-old looks skeletal, with his shoulder blades protruding from his back.
The footage sparked huge criticism, with EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas labelling the videos "appalling" - and saying they "expose the barbarity of Hamas".
Journalists demand access in Gaza
More than 100 journalists, photographers and war correspondents have signed a petition demanding "immediate and unsupervised foreign press access to the Gaza Strip".
Signatories include Sky News' special correspondent Alex Crawford.
They are renewing calls for both Israel and Hamas to allow foreign journalists into Gaza to report independently on the war, something they have been barred from doing since the start of the latest conflict in 2023.
The petition goes further to say if "belligerent parties" ignore the appeal, media professionals will be supported to enter Gaza without consent "by any legitimate means, independently, collectively, or in coordination with humanitarian or civil society actors".
Yesterday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had asked the Red Cross to give humanitarian assistance to the hostages.
Hamas's military spokesperson Abu Obeidah said it is "ready to engage positively and respond to any request from the Red Cross to bring food and medicine to enemy captives".
But he warned certain conditions must be met - including Israel permanently opening a humanitarian corridor, and halting airstrikes when aid is distributed.
Gaza's health ministry has said that six more people have died of starvation or malnutrition in the enclave in the past 24 hours - increasing the total to 175 since the war began, including 93 children.
Multiple international agencies have warned that famine is unfolding across the territory.
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No aid entered Gaza between 2 March and 19 May due an Israeli blockade - and deliveries of supplies including food, medicine and fuel have been limited since then.
Israeli authorities have previously said there is "no famine caused by Israel" - and that its military is "working to facilitate and ease the distribution of humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip".
Meanwhile, Palestinian health authorities also said at least 80 people in Gaza were killed by Israeli gunfire and airstrikes yesterday.
These included people trying to access aid, medics on the ground said.
The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) has repeatedly said it "categorically rejects the claims of intentional harm to civilians", and has previously blamed Hamas militants for fomenting chaos and endangering Gazans.
Hamas killed about 1,200 people - mostly civilians - in its attack on 7 October 2023 and abducted 251 others.
Of those, they still hold approximately 50 hostages - with 20 believed to be alive - after most of the others were released in ceasefires or other deals.
Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed more than 60,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry, which does not differentiate between militants and civilians in its count.