• Source:JND
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Two newly released videos of Israeli hostage Evyatar David, 24, have sparked international concern, as he appears severely emaciated and is seen digging what he calls his “own grave” in a Hamas tunnel in Gaza. The footage comes amid stalled negotiations for the release of remaining hostages and growing fears about their deteriorating health.

The most recent video, released by the Palestinian militant group Hamas, shows David in a confined underground space, holding a shovel and struggling to speak. Visibly skeletal, he says in Hebrew, “What I’m doing now is digging my own grave. Every day my body becomes weaker and weaker. I’m walking directly to my grave. There is the grave where I am going to be buried in. Time is running out to be released and be able to sleep in my bed with my family.” He breaks down in tears at the end of the video.

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Propaganda And Psychological Warfare

This is the second video of David released within 48 hours, part of what appears to be a deliberate effort by Hamas to use hostages in propaganda messaging. David, a musician who plays both guitar and piano, is believed to be one of approximately 20 living hostages still being held by Hamas and other militant factions in Gaza.

The footage has been met with horror and grief from David’s family, who pleaded for the video not to be circulated publicly. In a statement reported by The New York Times, his family described the videos as “one of the most horrifying acts the world has seen,” saying David had become “a living skeleton, buried alive.” They accused Hamas of “deliberate and cynical starvation” to create emotional pressure through propaganda.

“The deliberate starvation of our son as part of a propaganda campaign is one of the most horrifying acts the world has seen,” the family reiterated. “He is being starved purely to serve Hamas’s propaganda.”

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Since the October 7 Hamas terror attack that sparked the ongoing conflict, around 250 people were initially taken hostage. Of those, approximately 140 have been released during negotiations, 8 rescued by Israeli forces, and 57 confirmed dead, either during captivity or in the course of attempted rescues. The status of the remaining hostages, including David, remains unclear.

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