Ilay David, brother of 22-year-old hostage Evyatar David, gave a heartfelt appeal to the United Nations Security Council on Tuesday, urging for immediate global intervention following the emergence of a chilling video. The video displayed his malnourished brother being coerced to dig his own grave inside a Hamas tunnel.
The session of the Security Council was initiated by Israel amidst the country’s impending full annexation of Gaza. This step was triggered by the failure of ceasefire discussions and the release of unsettling images showing emaciated hostages.
Evyatar David was kidnapped from the Nova music festival on October 7, 2024. In the recent footage, he looks weakened, weighing just 90 pounds, and appears to struggle with speaking.
The U.N. Security Council meeting was organized after the latest hostage footage was unveiled. Israel estimates that only about 20 hostages remain held by Hamas, many in dire condition with limited time left.
Gideon Sa’ar, Israel’s Foreign Minister, who was present at the New York session, urged the United Nations Security Council to “condemn Hamas for its heinous acts. To hold it accountable, and to demand the immediate liberation of our hostages.”
Prior to the meeting, Sa’ar informed journalists that despite Israel’s ongoing humanitarian aid efforts in Gaza, Hamas is intentionally depriving the hostages of food.
“Evyatar was forced to dig his own grave. This is satanic,” he said. “These are evil crimes — like those committed by the Nazis and ISIS.”
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar (R) and Israeli Ambassador to the U.N. Danny Danon (L) speak to journalists ahead of a United Nations Security Council meeting at U.N. headquarters on August 5, 2025 in New York (ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images)
Sa’ar also warned that recent moves by several nations to unilaterally recognize a Palestinian state have emboldened Hamas and undermined negotiations.
“They gave Hamas free gifts and an incentive to continue this war,” he said. “They directly assassinated the hostage deal and ceasefire. These countries prolonged the war.”
Ilay David ended his address with a desperate appeal: “We, the family of Evyatar, refuse to give up hope. We are weeping, we are suffering, but we are also fighting with every fiber of our being. We will not give up until we see him back home — until my mother and father can hug him again.”
“To the leaders of the world, to every member of this Council, and to the global community: Your silence in the face of this monstrous cruelty is complicity. I urge you — do not let them die. Act now, before it’s too late. Save Evyatar David. Bring my little brother home.”
When asked by reporters at the White House on Tuesday if he had seen the Hamas video of Evyatar David, President Donald Trump said he had, calling it “horrible.”
