Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar is heading to the UN to put a global spotlight on the “dangerous phenomenon” of hostage-taking, which he says Hamas is using for a “sadistic propaganda campaign.” Sa’ar’s press conference was prompted by the release of videos showing two Israeli hostages, Evyatar David and Rom Braslavski, in a dire state. He claimed that the starvation and torture of these captives are a deliberate tactic.
Sa’ar drew strong comparisons between Hamas’s actions and the crimes of the Nazis and ISIS. He also expressed deep concern over the lack of international oversight, noting that the remaining 50 hostages have not been visited by the Red Cross, a situation he believes contradicts a prior agreement. The minister further alleged that Hamas’s claims of a starvation crisis are a “fake propaganda campaign” and that the amount of aid entering Gaza proves this.
He emphasized that hostage-taking is not just a local issue but a global threat, as terror groups use civilians as leverage to ensure their survival and interests. Sa’ar urged the international community to take a strong stance against this practice. To advance this cause, he is traveling to New York to attend a special UN Security Council session he initiated with the support of the US and Panama.
The minister also took a strong stance against international media and certain countries. He accused the media of having a “shameful” and “anti-Israeli agenda” for their lack of coverage of the hostages. He also condemned countries for what he called a “distortion” of reality by equating hostages with terrorists and for rewarding Hamas with diplomatic recognition, which he believes has derailed negotiations.