Hostage videos shock Israel PM

JERUSALEM (AFP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed "profound shock" over videos showing two emaciated hostages in Gaza, with the European Union (EU) also denouncing the clips on Sunday and demanding the release of all remaining captives after nearly 22 months of war.

Over the past few days, Hamas and its ally Islamic Jihad have released three videos showing two hostages seized during the 7 October 2023 attack on Israel that triggered the ongoing war in Gaza.

The images of Rom Braslavski and Evyatar David have sparked strong reactions among Israelis, fueling renewed calls to reach a truce and hostage release deal without delay.

A statement from Netanyahu's office late Saturday said he had spoken with the families of the two hostages and "expressed profound shock over the materials distributed by the terror organizations."

Netanyahu "told the families that the efforts to return all our hostages are ongoing," the statement added.

Earlier in the day, tens of thousands of people had rallied in the coastal hub of Tel Aviv to urge Netanyahu's government to secure the release of the remaining captives.

In the clips shared by the Palestinian Islamist groups, 21-year-old Braslavski, a German-Israeli dual national, and 24-year-old David both appear weak and malnourished.

There was particular outrage in Israel over images of David who appeared to be digging what he said in the staged video was his own grave.

The videos make references to the dire humanitarian conditions in Gaza, where United Nations-mandated experts have warned a "famine is unfolding."

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the images "are appalling and expose the barbarity of Hamas," calling for the release of "all hostages... immediately and unconditionally."