In a searing press conference, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar accused Hamas of running a sadistic propaganda war while condemning parts of the global community for emboldening terrorists and sabotaging hostage negotiations.
Jerusalem — Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar tore into Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and segments of the international community on Sunday, accusing them of enabling a “deliberate and well-planned sadistic propaganda campaign” that exploits the starvation and torture of Israeli hostages.
Addressing foreign correspondents, Sa’ar cited the harrowing newly released footage of Evyatar David and Rom Braslavski — frail, skeletal, and visibly tortured. He described scenes in which hostages were forced to dig graves as a grotesque form of psychological warfare.
“The world saw the thick arm of the well-fed terrorist next to the starved and tortured Evyatar,” Sa’ar said, underscoring the inhumanity on display.
Sa’ar stressed that 50 hostages remain in Gaza, with at least 20 confirmed alive — all denied access to the Red Cross, despite previous agreements. He warned that hostage-taking has become a strategic weapon for terror groups, serving as leverage to manipulate global opinion and negotiate from a position of power.
“Terror states and organizations kidnap civilians to ensure their own survival. This is a dangerous phenomenon that could happen tomorrow anywhere,” he cautioned.
The minister announced his imminent trip to New York to lead a special UN Security Council session on the hostage crisis, thanking the United States and Panama for supporting Israel’s call for the meeting.
Sa’ar reserved some of his harshest criticism for the global media, blasting major outlets for burying the story of the hostages and failing to place their suffering on front pages.
“It’s shameful,” he said. “The unbalanced, twisted anti-Israeli agenda hides the reality of innocent people starving in underground cages.”
He also condemned recent diplomatic steps by France, the UK, and Canada to recognize a Palestinian state — calling such moves a gift to Hamas that undercuts ongoing hostage negotiations.
“These are the fruits of October 7th,” he said, quoting a Hamas leader. “It’s immoral. And it’s politically foolish. If you can’t help — for God’s sake — stop causing damage to all the people in our region.”
Closing his remarks, Sa’ar issued a direct call to the global community:
Jerusalem — Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar tore into Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and segments of the international community on Sunday, accusing them of enabling a “deliberate and well-planned sadistic propaganda campaign” that exploits the starvation and torture of Israeli hostages.
Addressing foreign correspondents, Sa’ar cited the harrowing newly released footage of Evyatar David and Rom Braslavski — frail, skeletal, and visibly tortured. He described scenes in which hostages were forced to dig graves as a grotesque form of psychological warfare.
“The world saw the thick arm of the well-fed terrorist next to the starved and tortured Evyatar,” Sa’ar said, underscoring the inhumanity on display.
Sa’ar stressed that 50 hostages remain in Gaza, with at least 20 confirmed alive — all denied access to the Red Cross, despite previous agreements. He warned that hostage-taking has become a strategic weapon for terror groups, serving as leverage to manipulate global opinion and negotiate from a position of power.
“Terror states and organizations kidnap civilians to ensure their own survival. This is a dangerous phenomenon that could happen tomorrow anywhere,” he cautioned.
The minister announced his imminent trip to New York to lead a special UN Security Council session on the hostage crisis, thanking the United States and Panama for supporting Israel’s call for the meeting.
Sa’ar reserved some of his harshest criticism for the global media, blasting major outlets for burying the story of the hostages and failing to place their suffering on front pages.
“It’s shameful,” he said. “The unbalanced, twisted anti-Israeli agenda hides the reality of innocent people starving in underground cages.”
He also condemned recent diplomatic steps by France, the UK, and Canada to recognize a Palestinian state — calling such moves a gift to Hamas that undercuts ongoing hostage negotiations.
“These are the fruits of October 7th,” he said, quoting a Hamas leader. “It’s immoral. And it’s politically foolish. If you can’t help — for God’s sake — stop causing damage to all the people in our region.”
Closing his remarks, Sa’ar issued a direct call to the global community:
“Reject the false equivalency between terrorists and their victims. Demand the immediate, unconditional release of every single hostage. This must not stop until they are home — all of them.”
