During a diplomatic visit to Riga, President Isaac Herzog demanded the immediate release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas, showing harrowing images of their starvation and urging the international community to cut all engagement with the terror group until they are freed.
Riga, Latvia — On Tuesday, Israeli President Isaac Herzog was received with full honors by Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs as part of his ongoing diplomatic mission to the Baltic states. Following a bilateral meeting, Herzog delivered a stark warning: peace cannot even begin until every hostage held by Hamas is returned home.
“All my life, I have sought a peaceful path with our Palestinian neighbors,” Herzog said. “But peace must be viable. Right now, the Palestinian people are split between the Palestinian Authority and Hamas. And after October 7, the average Israeli has no faith that such peace is possible — our peaceful border was shattered by terrorists who abducted, murdered, burned, and raped civilians.”
Hostage Release: The First Step to “The Day After”
Herzog made it clear that the road to a ceasefire and any future peace process runs through Gaza’s tunnels — where hostages are still being held in brutal conditions.
“In order to end the tragedy in Gaza — a tragedy created entirely by Hamas — the hostages must be freed,” he said. “We face a jihadist terror regime. Only by removing Hamas and returning our citizens can we secure our borders and move forward.”
Holding up recent Hamas propaganda videos, Herzog displayed images of Evyatar David and Rom Braslavski, visibly emaciated and suffering.
“Look at Evyatar — see the fat arm of his captor and his own starving frame. Look at Rom — a horrendous situation. All our hostages are deliberately starved by Hamas while their captors enjoy full meals.”
Appeal to the Red Cross — and the World
Herzog revealed that he personally called the President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), pleading for urgent delivery of food and medicine to the hostages.
He condemned Hamas’s deliberate starvation tactics while noting Israel’s own humanitarian actions:
- 23,000 tons of aid delivered to Gaza in the last 10 days.
- 30 more tons in the past 24 hours alone.
- Over 120 airdrops of aid from countries worldwide.
- Expanded water and electricity supply to Gaza.
“All this, while our hostages are starved and abused. This is the moral inversion the world must confront.”
Message to the International Community
Herzog issued a direct call from Riga:
“Europe and the world must adopt a unanimous, tough stance: We will not talk to Hamas or its allies until every hostage is released. No deals. No recognition. No engagement — until they are free.”
