Hostage families unimpressed with envoy as Hamas reject Witkoff's plan
發佈日期: 2025-08-03 20:10
TVB News
Hamas has rejected a claim by the U.S. special envoy to the Middle East who had told families of Israeli hostages that the Palestinian group could lay down its weapons.
Hamas says it will not disarm until there is an independent Palestinian state.
The relatives of those held in Gaza also rejected Steve Witkoff, saying "nothing new" had come from his latest round of diplomacy.
The families were angered by a Hamas video showing one captive looking frail and being forced to dig his own grave.
Six hundred and sixty-six days as a Hamas-held hostage is taking its toll on Evyatar David's now fragile body.
Slammed by David's family as "propaganda," they have allowed the video to be shown.
The pictures of the emaciated hostage published by Hamas as the organisation says it will not relinquish "armed resistance" unless an independent Palestinian state is established.
The 24-year-old tells the camera he barely has enough water to drink and has not eaten for days
His relatives say he is being deliberately starved.
He is shown digging what Evyatar says will be his own grave.
Times of Israel photos show his physical decline.
From his capture at a music festival in October 2023 through to this year.
Comparing his appearance in the video to a shot from February,it is clear David has lost a lot of weight in recent months.
David's family were among the relatives of the 49 remaining hostages, who met with U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff.
David's brother, Illay, addressed a crowd at a rally for hostages telling them: "The humanitarian aid flowing into Gaza, meant to alleviate suffering, must reach Evyatar, Guy (Illouz) and all the other hostages immediately. We cannot, we must not, allow Hamas to wield life and death with such unchecked barbarity. To remain silent now is to be complicit in their slow, agonising death.
As the rally continued, the father of Guy Illouz, who had also spoken with Witkoff, told the crowd the meeting was not encouraging and he does not see a current pathway to peace or hostage release.
"It is all or nothing" said Michel Illouz repeating what Witkoff had told him.
Then switching to Hebrew he told the crowd: "All or nothing, "No more catchphrases" is what Witkoff said, Michel Illouz explained.
Witkoff said, "We either return everybody home now or nothing, "but I told the U.S. envoy that "nothing" is not an option,"nothing is annihilation, disgrace, and neglect of the hostages."
In Gaza, it is children malnourished. Starved by war and Israel's blockade.
Oday and Mohammed are three and four but look younger.
Already sick, with a nerve condition, they should be growing but their body weight has halved in the two years of conflict.
Their mother wants to stop their constant cries but says there is never enough food, medicine or diapers.
Some help is coming.
French planes, which took off from Jordan, parachuting in supplies.
The second aid drop in as many days. The operation involved help from Germany and the UAE.
Supplies were filmed falling into central Gaza.
