Hostage Ordeal Sparks U.N. Security Council Debate Amid Gaza Famine Fears

Israel demands release of captives; world body grapples with widespread hunger in the Strip

Israel convened an urgent United Nations Security Council session, highlighting the dire condition of its hostages, including one depicted digging his own grave. While their plight garnered international sympathy, the escalating starvation crisis affecting two million Palestinians in Gaza overshadowed the proceedings.

Accusations Fly Over Aid and Propaganda

Many council members, alongside Palestinian representatives, attributed the severe food shortages in Gaza to Israel’s two-month blockade and insufficient aid entry. Gaza’s health ministry reports over 100 starvation-related deaths, many of them children. Israeli Foreign Minister **Gideon Saar**, present for the meeting, accused unnamed council members and global media of spreading “lies.” He contrasted the hostages’ alleged deprivation with Hamas and Islamic Jihad fighters enjoying ample food, a claim that U.N. spokesman **Stephane Dujarric** stated lacks evidence.

Saar asserted that Israel is permitting substantial aid into Gaza, alleging Hamas diverts and profits from these supplies. He also characterized Palestinian claims of terrorism as manufactured and accused Hamas of seeking to prolong the conflict rather than agree to a ceasefire. “It’s a world in which Israel is put on a bench of the accused while it fights for its survival,” Saar declared, labeling such sentiment as antisemitism.

Relatatives Appeal for Hostage Release

The emotional weight of the hostages’ situation was underscored by testimonies from their families. Itay David, brother of hostage Evyatar David, shared a harrowing account of his sibling, who appeared gaunt and was shown digging what was described as his own grave. “Do not let them die. We don’t have time. Do not let them spend another minute in darkness,” Itay David pleaded with the council members via video briefing.

He described his brother as a “living skeleton,” detailing the psychological and physical torment inflicted by Hamas, which has denied the hostages basic necessities. British U.N. Ambassador Barbara Woodward echoed calls for the immediate release of all hostages, condemning the propaganda use of their images as a “depraved” act. She stated, “Hamas and its terrorist ideologies can have no place in the future governance of Gaza and should never again threaten Israel’s security.”

Woodward recalled a prior ceasefire that facilitated hostage exchanges and increased aid to Gaza. “Since the ceasefire ended, the suffering of the hostages and Palestinian civilians has plumbed to new and shocking depths,” she observed. She added, “Israel’s aid restrictions have led to famine now unfolding in Gaza,” citing reports from international famine monitoring experts.

Speaking with doctors who served in Gaza, Woodward reported seeing children so malnourished their wounds festered for months. She also mentioned instances of baby formula being confiscated by the Israeli military. “I call on Israel now to act to alleviate the horrendous suffering,” she urged.

Global Concerns Over Gaza’s Humanitarian Crisis

Sierra Leone’s U.N. ambassador, Michael Imran Kanu, acknowledged Itay David‘s advocacy and condemned the “inhumane treatment” of hostages, calling their capture a war crime. However, he cautioned, “One atrocity cannot justify another.”

Kanu continued, “While we express deep concern for the hostages, we cannot ignore the wider humanitarian catastrophe that has engulfed Gaza. The people of Gaza have been subjected to a blockade and siege that deprived them of food, water, fuel and medical supplies,” conditions he suggested could also constitute war crimes.

Acting U.S. Ambassador Dorothy Shea noted President Trump’s acknowledgment of “real starvation” in Gaza and affirmed the U.S. efforts to deliver assistance. She encouraged support for the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, an Israeli-backed U.S. contractor, which reportedly distributed over 1.5 million meals on Sunday, despite hundreds of Palestinians being killed en route to its distribution sites.

Palestinian U.N. ambassador Riyad Mansour addressed the video of Evyatar David, stating, “We reject all inhumane and degrading treatment against anyone, especially persons held in captivity.”

In a pointed critique, Mansour argued, “Israel is demanding the world to take a stance against starvation when it is actually starving an entire civilian population, when it is shooting at them while they seek water and food.” This exchange reflects the deep divisions and competing narratives surrounding the conflict’s humanitarian toll. According to the World Food Programme, over half a million people in Gaza are now facing catastrophic levels of hunger, with the situation worsening due to limited access to food and clean water (World Food Programme, 2024).