Israel PM in 'shock' over hostage videos

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed “profound shock” over videos showing two emaciated hostages in Gaza, with the EU also denouncing the clips on Sunday and demanding the release of all remaining captives after nearly 22 months of war.

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Over the past few days, Hamas and its ally Islamic Jihad have released three videos showing two hostages seized during the October 7, 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, fuelling 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.