'It is shameful' – Israeli Foreign Minister Sa'ar slams international media for ignoring emaciated Israeli hostages

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar on Monday criticized what he described as the international media’s “unfair” treatment of the Israeli hostages held by the Hamas terrorist organization in Gaza.

“Hamas and [Palestinian] Islamic Jihad are using the starvation and torture of hostages as part of a deliberate and well-planned sadistic propaganda campaign,” Sa’ar stated at a press conference for international media in Jerusalem.

“These organizations also planned the starvation campaign of lies together,” he continued, referring to accusations that Israeli policies are causing starvation in Gaza.

“The amount of aid entering proves that it is a fake propaganda campaign. We see the dire condition of our starved hostages, yet they still have not seen representatives of the Red Cross,” the foreign minister added.

Hamas recently released new videos showing visibly emaciated Israeli hostages Evyatar David and Rom Braslavski. The footage has sparked widespread shock and outrage among Israelis, Jewish communities, and supporters of Israel around the world.

In contrast, some prominent media outlets have largely ignored or significantly downplayed Hamas' brutality toward the Israeli hostages.

“The horrible images of the hostages were painfully missing from the front pages of the New York Times, the Washington Post and most of the global media. It is shameful,” Sa'ar asserted.

He consequently announced that he would head a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) session in New York City on Tuesday to “put an end to the phenomenon of kidnapping civilians” and “make it not worthwhile for the terrorists” to use hostages “to achieve their goals.” The senior Israeli official specifically thanked the governments of the United States and Panama for assisting him in organizing the UN session.

Sa’ar further argued that the recent announcements by France, the United Kingdom and Canada to recognize a “Palestinian state” amount to a reward for Hamas and encourage the terror group to harden its position in the protracted hostage negotiations.

“These countries must understand the consequences of their actions. I warned on this very stage, some of you were here, that recognizing a virtual Palestinian state would lead to the assassination of the chances to reach a hostage deal and a ceasefire. This is exactly what happened,” he stated. “They claim that they seek the end of the war, but their actions directly prolonged it.”

The foreign minister also condemned French President Emmanuel Macron’s recent remark, referring to “hostages on both sides,” comparing Israeli hostages in Gaza with convicted terrorists in Israeli prisons.

“On one side, you have hostages, brutally kidnapped from their homes on October 7, tortured and held in captivity for almost two years by Hamas,” Sa’ar argued.

“On the other side, evil murderers serving life sentences,” the foreign minister continued. “The simple truth is that you have hostages on one side, and terrorists on the other.”

Despite his criticism, Sa’ar thanked several Western countries – including France, Germany, and the UK – for demanding the unconditional release of Israeli hostages in Gaza. The European Union has also called for their release.

The war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas terrorists invaded Israel, massacred 1200 Israelis and kidnapped 251 people from southern Israeli communities. After 22 months of war, some 50 hostages remain in Gaza, including 20 presumed to be still alive and who are increasingly at risk.