Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar has publicly condemned Hamas for a “sadistic propaganda campaign” while also criticizing international nations for their diplomatic actions. The minister’s remarks followed the release of videos showing Israeli hostages Evyatar David and Rom Braslavski in a visibly tortured and starved state. Sa’ar asserted that this is a “deliberate and well-planned” campaign to use the suffering of captives for political gain.
Sa’ar drew a direct parallel between Hamas’s actions and the crimes of the Nazis and ISIS. He expressed frustration with the international community’s failure to ensure humanitarian access, pointing out that the 50 remaining hostages have not been visited by the Red Cross despite an agreement. The minister also dismissed the narrative of a starvation crisis in Gaza, calling it a “fake propaganda campaign” and citing the flow of aid as evidence.
He described hostage-taking as a dangerous global phenomenon used by terror groups for survival and to achieve their interests. Sa’ar stressed the need for the international community to make it unprofitable for terrorists to kidnap civilians. To bring this issue to the forefront, he announced his imminent travel to a special UN Security Council session he initiated.
In a sharp critique, Sa’ar accused international media of a “shameful” and “anti-Israeli agenda” for their lack of coverage of the hostages. He also condemned countries like France, the UK, and Canada for what he called “a huge gift for Hamas” through their diplomatic steps, which he argued have only hardened Hamas’s stance and derailed negotiations for a hostage deal.