EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has condemned videos released by Hamas and Islamic Jihad showing two emaciated hostages held in Gaza since the October 7, 2023 attack. The videos sparked strong reactions among Israelis, fuelling renewed calls to reach a truce and hostage release deal without delay.
Kallas described the images as “appalling” and called for the release of all remaining captives after nearly 22 months of war. French President Emmanuel Macron also denounced Hamas’s decision to release the videos, saying they showed “inhumanity without bounds.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has asked the Red Cross to bring aid to the hostages, which Hamas’s armed wing has said it would only allow on the condition that Israel open humanitarian corridors across the besieged territory.
The crisis highlights the dire humanitarian conditions in Gaza, where a famine is unfolding according to UN-mandated experts. The videos also make references to the dire conditions, sparking outrage and calls for action.
Netanyahu’s office expressed “profound shock” over the materials distributed by Hamas and Islamic Jihad, while Israeli newspapers dedicated their front pages to the plight of the hostages. Critics argue that Netanyahu is prolonging the war for his own political survival.
The EU and other countries have called for an immediate release of all hostages, with Kallas stating that “Hamas must disarm and end its rule in Gaza.” The International Committee of the Red Cross has also been called upon to aid the hostages, but Hamas’s armed wing has imposed conditions on access.
Source: https://www.france24.com/en/middle-east/20250803-hamas-israeli-hostage-videos-appalling-eu-foreign-affairs-chief-kallas-says