Israel Urges Global Focus on Gaza Hostages Ahead of UN Security Council Session

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar has urged the international community to place the issue of hostages held in Gaza at the forefront of the global agenda, just ahead of a specially convened United Nations Security Council session.

Speaking at a press briefing on Monday, Saar declared:

“The world must put an end to the phenomenon of kidnapping civilians. It must be front and centre on the world stage.”

He confirmed his intention to travel to New York later that evening to personally attend and participate in the session, which he had taken the initiative to call. The meeting is scheduled to be held on Tuesday, specifically to address the humanitarian situation surrounding the hostages.

Background: Hostages from the 7 October 2023 Attack

The ongoing conflict in Gaza was triggered by a massive and deadly attack by Hamas on Israel on 7 October 2023. During this attack:

Horror Videos Spark Renewed Outrage

Public outrage in Israel intensified after Hamas and its ally Islamic Jihad released three videos last week. These showed two hostages in an emaciated and visibly deteriorating condition, triggering widespread distress across the country.

The videos rekindled a national debate over the urgency of securing a ceasefire and a hostage release agreement, as the war approaches its 23rd month.

Netanyahu Reacts: “Shocked” by Footage

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded emotionally to the video evidence, stating on Sunday:

“I was shocked by the horror videos of our precious sons. You see them withering away in tunnels. But the Hamas monster… have all the food they need. They starve them like Nazis starved the Jews.”

Netanyahu also announced that he had made an official request to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to step in and provide food and medical assistance to the remaining Israeli hostages in Gaza.

Hamas’ Conditional Offer

In response, Abu Obeida, spokesperson for the Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, issued a conditional proposal:

The group is willing to allow Red Cross access to the hostages—but only if Israel and the international community ensure permanent humanitarian corridors for food and medicine delivery to the entire population of Gaza.

This stance once again underlines the complex and deeply intertwined humanitarian and political challenges surrounding any negotiation.

International Context and Pressure

Israel continues to face growing international calls for a ceasefire to facilitate both the release of hostages and the distribution of humanitarian aid. Yet internal divisions within the Israeli government and differing global diplomatic positions have hindered significant breakthroughs.

Saar’s upcoming appearance at the UN Security Council reflects Israel’s strategy to internationalise the hostage issue, bringing it to the highest levels of diplomatic engagement.

As global actors weigh the next steps in this prolonged conflict, the fate of the remaining hostages now stands as a symbolic and urgent test of the international community’s resolve to address civilian suffering in war.