The Gaza conflict, now in its 22nd month, has reached a new crisis point as harrowing new footage of emaciated Israeli hostages and a spiraling death toll from starvation intensify pressure on the Israeli government to secure a ceasefire. Despite widespread protests and a rare public rebuke from former top security officials, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's administration is threatening to expand its military offensive, deepening a crisis that has already claimed over 60,000 Palestinian lives.
The public outcry in Israel and abroad was triggered by newly released videos from Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad showing severely malnourished Israeli hostages, including Evyatar David, pleading for food and describing horrific conditions. The footage prompted tens of thousands of Israelis to protest, demanding government action. The Hostages Families Forum condemned the inhumane conditions and demanded the immediate release of the captives. In response to the international outrage, Hamas announced it would permit Red Cross aid to reach the 50 remaining captives, of whom only 20 are believed to be alive, on the condition that Israel halts airstrikes and establishes permanent humanitarian corridors.
Simultaneously, the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza is worsening daily. The death toll from malnutrition and related causes has climbed to over 180 people, including 93 children, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. On Monday alone, at least 40 Palestinians were killed by Israeli gunfire and airstrikes, with ten of them reportedly shot dead while seeking food at U.S.-backed aid sites. At Al Shifa hospital in Gaza City, mourners have resorted to using blankets for burials due to a shortage of traditional Islamic shrouds.
United Nations agencies warn that current aid efforts are insufficient to avert a full-blown famine. Though Israel claims to have eased restrictions and allowed thousands of tons of aid to enter Gaza, UN officials state delivery is hampered by logistical constraints, looting, and ongoing fighting.
The Israeli government's handling of the war is facing unprecedented criticism from within its own security establishment. A group of prominent former officials, including ex-Prime Minister Ehud Barak and former heads of the Mossad and Shin Bet intelligence agencies, publicly appealed for an end to the war. Operating as Commanders for Israel's Security (CIS), they argued the conflict "ceased to be a just war" after its initial military objectives were met and is now being prolonged for political reasons, causing more harm than good to Israel's security.
Prime Minister Netanyahu acknowledged the shock of the hostage videos but dismissed them as "psychological warfare akin to Nazi tactics," reaffirming his commitment to defeating Hamas and securing the hostages' release. His government, in discussions with the U.S. administration of President Donald Trump, is considering expanding its offensive into new areas of Gaza to increase pressure on Hamas. Earlier negotiations for a 60-day ceasefire collapsed after Hamas demanded a complete Israeli military withdrawal and the release of Palestinian prisoners, conditions Israel rejected.
The war began on October 7, 2023, after a Hamas-led attack on Israel. The ensuing Israeli military retaliation has devastated the Gaza Strip, with Israeli forces now controlling approximately 75% of the territory. In response to the latest developments, Israel has requested an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council, as the international community grapples with a deepening conflict with no clear end in sight.