Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar has announced he will travel to New York to address a special UN Security Council session he initiated, with the goal of urging the international community to take a strong stance against hostage-taking. He framed the practice as a dangerous global phenomenon used by terror groups to ensure their survival and interests. Sa’ar believes a unified front is necessary to prevent this tactic from spreading.
Sa’ar’s announcement was made in a fiery speech where he condemned Hamas for what he called a “sadistic propaganda campaign.” This campaign included the release of distressing videos showing two Israeli captives, Evyatar David and Rom Braslavski, in a state of severe distress. The minister asserted that the apparent starvation and torture of the hostages were “deliberate and well-planned” tactics, and he drew a grim comparison between Hamas’s methods and the atrocities of the Nazis and ISIS.
In a related critique, Sa’ar accused diplomatic moves to recognize a Palestinian state of “assassinating the chances to reach a hostage deal.” He stated that these actions are both “immoral” and “politically foolish,” arguing they have only served to reward Hamas’s terror and harden their position. He warned against the “false symmetry” being created between the hostages and their captors.
Sa’ar also took aim at the narrative of a starvation crisis in Gaza. He labeled the “starvation narrative” a “fake propaganda campaign,” pointing to the continuous delivery of humanitarian aid as evidence to the contrary. He also expressed his frustration that the Red Cross has not been able to see the 50 remaining hostages, despite a prior agreement for their visits.