Sa’ar to raise plight of hostages in UN Security Council session

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar will fly to New York on Monday night to attend a special U.N. Security Council meeting that he initiated about the situation of the hostages held in Gaza.

“Hamas and Islamic Jihad are using the starvation and torture of hostages as part of a deliberate and well-planned sadistic propaganda campaign. The issues of the hostages must be front and center on the world stage!” Sa’ar said in a press conference on Monday morning.

Over the weekend, the terrorist groups Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad released difficult-to-watch videos of Israeli captives Evyatar David and Rom Braslavski, who appeared to be starving to death.

Sa’ar wrote, “The world witnessed their terrible condition. Starved. Tortured. Evyatar was forced to dig his own grave. The world saw the thick arm of the well-fed terrorist—next to the starved and tortured Evyatar.”

Ilay David, Evyatar’s older brother, is scheduled to deliver a remote address during Tuesday’s special session, according to a statement from Sa’ar’s office.

The foreign minister blamed the Islamist groups for planning the “starvation campaign of lies” with regard to the Gazan population that international media spread on its front pages.

“The amount of aid entering [Gaza] proves that it is a fake propaganda campaign,” Sa’ar said.

“We see the dire condition of our starved hostages—yet they still have not seen representatives of the Red Cross,” the diplomat continued.

He warned that the kidnapping of civilians to achieve political goals may be exploited by terrorists in other places in the future. “The international community must make it not worthwhile for the terrorists. The world must put an end to the phenomena of kidnapping civilians.”

Sa’ar thanked the United States and Panama for helping to make the U.N. Security Council session possible.

The minister slammed media giants such as The New York Times and The Washington Post for not acknowledging Israel’s humanitarian efforts in the Gaza Strip and choosing not to display the images of the hostages on their front pages.

Sa’ar described the steps of countries such as France and Britain to recognize a Palestinian state as a “pure prize for terror—a huge gift for Hamas” in the wake of the Oct. 7, 2023, massacre.

“Here you have a senior member of Hamas clearly stating: ‘These are the fruits of October 7.’ These countries must understand the consequences of their actions. I warned on this very stage that recognizing a virtual Palestinian state will lead to the assassination of the chances to reach a hostage deal and ceasefire. This is exactly what happened. It’s immoral. And it’s also politically foolish,” Sa’ar said.

The U.N. session in New York is set to begin at 10 a.m. on Tuesday.

Israel’s Ambassador to the U.N. Danny Danon confirmed earlier on Monday that a special emergency session on the “dire situation of the hostages in Gaza” will take on place the following day.

“The disturbing images speak for themselves. While a global campaign is being waged against the State of Israel, Hamas terrorists are starving and abusing the Israeli hostages. It is time for the Security Council to unequivocally condemn the barbaric acts of Hamas, which continue day after day, hour after hour,” Danon tweeted.

This will be Sa’ar first trip to the United States since he took up his post on Nov. 5.

On Sunday, Sa’ar met in Jerusalem with a delegation of U.S. Congress members, led by Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-La.). The delegation included Reps. Michael Cloud (R-Texas), Michael McCaul (R-Texas), Nathaniel Moran (R-Texas) and Claudia Tenney (R-N.Y.).

The meeting revolved around the U.S.-Israel alliance, the geopolitical situation in Syria and Gaza, and the importance of Jewish presence in Judea and Samaria, according to the Foreign Ministry.

Sa’ar expressed gratitude for Johnson’s support for Israel, as well as the backing of the Trump administration.

“In Syria, we seek two simple things,” the ministry quoted Sa’ar as saying.

“First, security—preventing jihadist entrenchment near our border. Second, the protection of the Druze minority. The Druze in Syria have suffered a brutal and barbaric assault. Currently, there is a humanitarian crisis in the al-Suwayda region,” the minister said.

With regard to the international push for a Palestinian state, Sa’ar said that “Israel will not commit suicide. We will not agree to a Palestinian state that would be a jihadist Hamas state, leaving Israel with indefensible borders.”

Oct. 7, 2023, showed what happens when Israel has no strategic depth, he said, adding that he has always viewed Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria as a pioneering force that protects all of Israel.