'He is a living skeleton': Brother of Israeli hostage seen in Hamas video pleads for his release
The brother of Israeli hostage Evyatar David, who is being held by Hamas in Gaza, has described him as a 'living skeleton' after seeing footage released by the militant group.
In an interview with ITV News, Evyatar's brother shared his family's reaction to a Hamas video showing the visibly emaciated 24-year-old moving slowly through what appears to be a cramped underground tunnel.
Ilay David said his family thought they had seen the "peak of emotional torture" until they saw "that absurd, twisted video of my brother being a human skeleton, barely alive, barely able to speak, barely able to move'.
"He is a living skeleton."
Evyatar has been in captivity since October 7, 2023, after being abducted by Hamas during the Nova music festival in southern Israel.
He is one of 50 hostages who Israel says are still being held in Gaza. This number includes 27 who are believed to be dead.
Videos released last week by Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad showed both Evyatar and another hostage, Rom Braslavski, in a fragile and malnourished state.
Ilay said he was unable to watch the video of his brother himself.
'My sister watched it. My father watched it. But my mother and I couldn't. I just heard what was in the video. If I had seen him in that state, I would have collapsed," he said.
'Right now, I'm his older brother, and I need to take care of him. I need to fight for his life. "
He claimed that Hamas fighters were to blame for the hostages' condition, saying: "I need to make sure every corner of the world, there's a leader who knows what's going on down there - that the terrorists are feeding themselves well, but they are starving the hostages intentionally.'
Hamas insist that the hostages' appearance reflects the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, but released hostages have described similarly extreme malnourishment while in captivity.
A spokesman for Hamas' military wing, Abu Obeida, insisted over the weekend that the group does not intentionally starve captives, saying: 'They eat the same food that Hamas fighters and the general population eat.
"They will not receive any special privileges amid the crime of starvation and siege.'
Ilay does not accept this explanation, and said: 'They're using their own people in this twisted game, and my kid brother is a bargaining chip".
Despite the trauma, his family continues to hold on to hope: 'We looked into his eyes and we saw he's not giving up. If he has faith, we have faith. I know he misses the same thing I miss. We used to play music together every week, and I'm sure he's thinking about that every day.'
Evyatar was last seen alive in February, when he and his best friend were filmed by Hamas watching other hostages being released. They were reportedly tricked into believing they were about to be freed as well.
'Since October 7, I'm a hostage's brother. I hope nobody else in the world will experience this. I will fight for my loved ones. I must do anything to save him. He needs to be home.'
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the family following the latest video.
Ilay said Netanyahu was 'shocked' by the footage.
The prime minister has faced growing criticism from within Israel for continuing the war amid the ongoing hostage crisis and international condemnation for the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza.
According to the World Health Organisation, malnutrition-related deaths surged in July, with over 5,000 children under five admitted for treatment in just the first two weeks of the month.
Obtaining aid in Gaza has also been the subject of much controversy, after the United Nations (UN) said more than 1,000 people have been killed by Israeli forces while seeking food since late May.
Hamas maintains that it is committed to hostage negotiations, but only if the humanitarian conditions in Gaza improve - an impasse that continues to leave families of captives like Evyatar in agonising suspense.
Since October 7 - when 1,200 Israelis were killed in Hamas-led attacks - Israel has launched a prolonged military campaign across the Gaza Strip.
More than 60,000 Palestinians have been killed since then, according to the territory's health ministry.
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