Hamas uses hunger as a weapon: ‘Food for hostages only if aid enters’

The jihadist group proposes a cynical exchange: humanitarian aid for Israeli hostages in exchange for opening corridors to Gaza. Netanyahu: ‘They are starving them like the Nazis did.’

In the conflict between Israel and Hamas, even hunger becomes a weapon. In a shocking new statement, the Qassam Brigades – the armed wing of Hamas – announced that they will allow the Red Cross access to Israeli hostages only on condition that permanent humanitarian corridors to the Gaza Strip are opened.

This is a kind of humanitarian blackmail following the release of harrowing videos showing two Israeli hostages, Rom and Avitar, severely malnourished. The images have been seen around the world and reignited outrage on both sides. According to the United Nations, more than half a million people in Gaza are suffering from hunger.

‘The Qassam Brigades are ready to respond positively and accept any request from the Red Cross to provide food and medicine to enemy prisoners,’ Hamas said. But only on condition that ‘humanitarian corridors are open normally and permanently’ for the entire population of Gaza.

The proposal came the day after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appealed to the International Committee of the Red Cross to intervene immediately to ensure care and assistance for the hostages. The ICRC reiterated the urgency of visiting and accessing the hostages, who ‘must receive immediate medical care.’

Hamas responded cynically: ‘The hostages eat like the population of Gaza. They will not receive favourable treatment as long as the blockade and starvation policy continue.’ This message shifts responsibility directly to Israel and attempts to justify the inhumane conditions of the prisoners.

Netanyahu responded harshly. In a video message, he accused Hamas of using methods similar to those of the Nazis: ‘Our boys are malnourished, while their captors have muscles and full bellies. They are starving them as the Nazis did to the Jews.’ The prime minister reiterated his willingness to free the hostages, eliminate Hamas and prevent Gaza from posing a future threat.

But within Israel, the divide is growing. The Hostage Families Forum protested by blocking the Ayalon motorway in Tel Aviv and launched a harsh attack on Netanyahu. ‘For almost two years, we have been told that military pressure will bring our loved ones back,’ the group writes, ‘but with each passing day, the extension of the war risks condemning them to certain death.’

‘We have seen the hostages in the tunnels, they will not survive much longer,’ the statement said. The government’s intransigent position is perceived by many families as an obstacle rather than a solution.

While ceasefire negotiations remain stalled, Hamas continues to use hostages as tools of political and psychological pressure. And once again, it is the innocent who are paying the price.

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(Photo: © AndKronos)