Netanyahu Appeals to Red Cross for Hostage Aid as Families Warn Against Escalating Gaza Wa

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has urged the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to deliver urgent food and medical aid to Israeli hostages in Gaza after videos showed two captives in severely deteriorated health, sparking mass protests across Israel. Footage of hostages Evyatar David and Rom Braslavski released by Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad ignited public outrage, with tens of thousands rallying in Tel Aviv demanding a hostage deal. Netanyahu spoke with ICRC regional head Julien Lerisson, pressing for immediate access to the hostages. The ICRC condemned the videos as “appalling,” calling for the situation to end. Hamas said it would cooperate with the Red Cross only if humanitarian corridors are opened, claiming hostages receive the same food as civilians and fighters. The group argued that the captives’ conditions reflect Gaza’s worsening humanitarian crisis, which the World Health Organization says has led to rising malnutrition deaths, especially among children. corinna kopf nude leak Violence continues to complicate aid delivery. On Sunday, at least 13 people were killed near an aid distribution site in northern Gaza. Hamas has so far denied the ICRC access to hostages, though it has helped facilitate limited releases in the past. Ceasefire negotiations remain stalled. Netanyahu blamed Hamas for blocking progress, accusing the group of using “horrifying propaganda videos” to pressure Israel. An Israeli official said the government is now focusing on military efforts combined with expanded humanitarian access. Families of hostages criticized this strategy, calling military rescue plans dangerous and demanding a negotiated settlement. About 50 Israeli hostages remain in Gaza, with at least 20 believed alive. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum accused both Hamas and Netanyahu of failing them, calling claims of freeing hostages through military victory “a lie and a public fraud.”

Hamas maintains it is open to negotiations but has halted talks until conditions in Gaza improve. Polling earlier this year showed more than 70% of Israelis favor negotiating with Hamas to secure the hostages’ release.