Israel Calls UN Emergency Session Following Graphic Videos of Hostages Held by Hamas
Israel has called for an emergency UN Security Council session following the release of disturbing hostage videos. The footage sparked global condemnation and fueled protests and political division within Israel over the crisis.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – Israel has called for an emergency session of the United Nations Security Council, scheduled for this Tuesday, to address what its UN ambassador described as the "dire situation of the hostages in Gaza." The urgent appeal follows the release of disturbing video footage of Israeli hostages, which has ignited international condemnation and intensified political debates within Israel.
In a statement on X on Monday, Israel's Ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, confirmed the upcoming meeting. "Following my appeal to the President of the UN Security Council, the Council will convene this coming Tuesday for a special emergency session," he announced.
Danon pointed to recent videos as the catalyst, stating, "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." He added, "It is time for the Security Council to unequivocally condemn the barbaric acts of Hamas, which continue day after day, hour after hour.”
Following my appeal to the President of the UN Security Council, the Council will convene this coming Tuesday for a special emergency session on the dire situation of the hostages in Gaza.
— Danny Danon 🇮🇱 דני דנון (@dannydanon) August 3, 2025
The disturbing images speak for themselves. While a global campaign is being waged against…
Underscoring the diplomatic gravity of the situation, Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar is set to undertake a mission to New York this week. According to a report in Israel Hayom, Sa'ar will participate in the UN Security Council session and address the UN after the release of what the newspaper termed "shocking hostage videos."
The move comes after Hamas and Islamic Jihad released two video clips showing hostages Rom Braslavsky and Evyatar David appearing starved and exhausted while digging in the ground. The footage has sparked widespread outrage and fueled renewed calls within Israel for a deal to secure the release of the approximately fifty hostages still held in the Gaza Strip.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded on Sunday, stating he had spoken with the families of the two men and expressed his "deep shock at the harsh footage." In a statement, Netanyahu condemned the "Nazi-like abuse" and "cruelty of Hamas," contrasting it with Israel's actions. "While the State of Israel allows the entry of humanitarian aid to the residents of Gaza, Hamas terrorists deliberately starve our hostages, documenting them in a cynical, humiliating, and malicious manner," he wrote, calling on the international community to "stand against this."
The videos also prompted a hardline response from National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir. Speaking from the Temple Mount on Sunday, the far-right minister called for the "complete conquest and declaration of Israeli sovereignty over the entire Gaza Strip," along with the "voluntary migration" of its population. Ben Gvir framed this approach as the only way to secure the hostages' return, stating, "Only in this way will we bring back the hostages and win the war."
European leaders joined in the condemnation. Kaja Kallas, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, called the images "appalling" and said they "expose the barbarity of Hamas." French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot described the footage as "despicable, unbearable." Both officials called for the immediate, unconditional release of all hostages, the disarming of Hamas, and the massive entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza.
Inside Israel, the videos led to an eruption of public anger, with thousands gathering in Hostages Square in Tel Aviv to demand government action. The incident has also highlighted deep political fissures, with the right-wing newspaper Israel Hayom echoing the government's message that "Hamas's brutality knows no bounds," while the left-wing Haaretz offered a critical perspective, stating, "Netanyahu is in no hurry" to rescue the hostages.
The diplomatic push at the UN occurs at a sensitive moment, with ceasefire negotiations suspended and a widespread hunger crisis affecting Palestinians in Gaza. Of the fifty hostages believed to be held, it is suspected that at least 20 are still alive.
