The Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of the Palestinian militant group Hamas, on Friday released a one-minute video showing an Israeli hostage held in Gaza, appearing visibly malnourished and weak inside a narrow concrete tunnel.
Hostage Identity and Background
| Name | Evyatar David |
| Age | 24 (turned 24 while in captivity) |
| Captured On | 7 October 2023 |
| Location of Capture | Nova Music Festival, Southern Israel |
| Companion | Gal Gilboa-Dalal (also abducted) |
| Circumstances | Abducted during Hamas’s large-scale attack on Israel |
According to AFP and Israeli media, the emaciated, bearded man in the video is Evyatar David, who was abducted along with his friend Gal Gilboa-Dalal during the attack that sparked the ongoing war in Gaza.
AFP was unable to independently verify the authenticity of the footage.
Statistics from the Nova Music Festival Attack
| Detail | Number |
| Hostages Seized | 44 festival-goers |
| Civilians Killed | 370 |
Hostage Status in Gaza (As of Now)
| Total Hostages (Oct 7 attack) | 251 |
| Still Held in Gaza | 49 |
| Confirmed Dead | 27 (according to Israeli military) |
In February, Hamas had previously released a video showing David and Gilboa-Dalal inside a vehicle, watching a hostage release ceremony taking place just metres away—intensifying emotional pressure on their families and the public.
Humanitarian Concerns in Gaza
Israeli restrictions on the entry of goods and humanitarian aid into the besieged enclave have led to severe shortages of food, medicine, and other basic necessities, prompting widespread international condemnation and renewed calls for a ceasefire.
The hostage video underscores both the ongoing human toll of the conflict and the deteriorating humanitarian conditions in Gaza, which continue to raise alarms among global aid agencies, human rights organisations, and foreign governments.
