'Living skeleton digging own grave': Hamas releases clip of Israeli hostage, family urges Israel 'not to turn blind eye'

The Palestinian militant group Hamas on Saturday (August 2) published a video of an Israeli hostage, Evyatar David, a day after releasing a short clip of the captive. Following the release, David's family approved the media outlets to publish the 40-second clip. In the heartbreaking video, the hostage is seen crossing off dates on a calendar on the tunnel's wall.

The family of Evyatar David stressed that they are forced to witness their beloved son in this condition.

“We are forced to witness our beloved son and brother, Evyatar, deliberately and cynically starved in the Hamas tunnels in Gaza — a living skeleton buried alive," David's family said.

They further said that their son only has a few days to live in this condition, adding, "Hamas is using our son, Evyatar, as a living experiment in a disgusting hunger campaign."

"The deliberate starvation of our son as part of a propaganda campaign is one of the most horrifying acts the world has seen. He is being starved purely to serve Hamas’s propaganda," they added.

In the end of the video, David is seen digging his own grave, as he urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to worry about him and other hostages.

While digging, he said that he is feeling “weaker and weaker” by the day, and heading toward death.

The family further urged Israel and the international community to ensure that David receives food and is released from Hamas' captivity. "Israel and the international community must oppose Hamas’s cruelty and ensure that our Evyatar immediately receives proper nutrition."

They said that the "intentional starvation, torture and abuse" of their son for propaganda purposes violates even the lowest standards of humanitarian law.

They urged Israel not to remain silent or turn a blind eye to those deliberately starved as part of Hamas’s hunger campaign.

"We are in pain and we weep. There is no limit to the grief and cruelty we endure. There is no limit to the suffering that the Hamas terror organization inflicts on the hostages and on the residents of Gaza," the family stressed.