President Michael D Higgins has spoken out against video footage showing the severely malnourished bodies of two hostages abducted on October 7th, reports Breaking News.
In a statement released on Sunday, Mr Higgins said: “The presentation of the emaciated bodies of two hostages taken on October 7th is a shocking act of cruelty and reflects not only on those responsible for such actions but damages any cause to which they attach themselves.
“We are now in a position of seeing the nadir of human behaviour with images like these occurring at the same time as children are deprived of medicine and mothers are deprived of water and the necessary means of addressing malnutrition as they watch their children die, reports Breaking News.
“All of these actions must not just receive the opprobrium of the world, but must lead to practical actions that cannot wait until September to be addressed,” reports Breaking News.
President Higgins also expressed hope that Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter could serve as a means to guarantee humanitarian access in the affected region.
The statement coincided with comments made by US President Donald Trump’s envoy to the Middle East, who informed hostage families on Saturday that a collaborative plan with the Israeli government was underway—one that could effectively bring the Gaza war to an end, reports Breaking News.
Trump has prioritised resolving the conflict during his presidency, though efforts at negotiation have so far struggled. Envoy Steve Witkoff is currently in Israel as humanitarian conditions in Gaza continue to deteriorate and political pressure grows.
In an audio recording of the meeting, obtained by Reuters, Witkoff said: “We have a very, very good plan that we’re working on collectively with the Israeli government, with Prime Minister Netanyahu … for the reconstruction of Gaza. That effectively means the end of the war,” reports Breaking News.
The White House has yet to issue a statement in response to his remarks.
Witkoff also said Hamas was willing to disarm to bring the war to an end, although the group has consistently insisted it will not surrender its weapons, reports Breaking News.
In reaction, Hamas—ruling Gaza since 2007 but now weakened militarily by Israel—maintained it would not abandon “armed resistance” unless “an independent, fully sovereign Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital” was created.
Indirect talks between Hamas and Israel to negotiate a 60-day ceasefire and the release of half the remaining hostages collapsed without progress last week, reports Breaking News.
On Saturday, Hamas released a second video in as many days showing Israeli hostage Evyatar David. The footage depicts a visibly emaciated David digging a hole, which he says is meant to be his grave.
“They are on the absolute brink of death,” David’s brother Ilay told a crowd at a pro-hostage rally in Tel Aviv, where thousands gathered holding placards and demanding their immediate release,” reports Breaking News.
“In the current unimaginable condition, they may have only days left to live,” reports Breaking News.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said, “The world cannot remain silent in the face of the difficult images that are the result of deliberate sadistic abuse of the hostages, which also includes starvation.”
Witkoff, who arrived in Israel while Prime Minister Netanyahu’s administration faces international condemnation for conditions in Gaza, met with the Israeli leader on Thursday, reports Breaking News.
Following the meeting, a senior Israeli official stated that a shared understanding with Washington was forming—one focused on expanding the goal from freeing some hostages to releasing all, disarming Hamas, and demilitarising the Gaza Strip, in line with Israel’s core demands.
On Tuesday, mediators Qatar and Egypt backed a joint declaration from France and Saudi Arabia that lays groundwork for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The proposal calls on Hamas to hand over its weapons to the Western-supported Palestinian Authority, reports Breaking News.
Mounting concerns over the crisis in Gaza have also led several Western governments to consider recognising a Palestinian state.
On Friday, Witkoff visited a U.S.-supported aid mission in southern Gaza. The United Nations has partly attributed deadly conditions in the area to delays and restrictions on such operations. Witkoff said he was working to get food and supplies to those in need, reports Breaking News.
According to Gaza’s health ministry, dozens have recently died from malnutrition following a near-total blockade of the territory by Israel between March and May. The ministry reported seven new deaths, including a child, on Saturday alone.
Israel maintains Hamas is to blame for the suffering in Gaza and says it is actively taking steps to improve aid access. These include partial daily pauses in fighting, humanitarian air drops, and announcing safe corridors for aid deliveries, reports Breaking News.
The conflict began when Hamas attacked southern Israel on October 7th, 2023, killing over 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages, according to Israeli authorities. Since then, Israel’s military response has killed more than 60,000 Palestinians, Gaza health officials report.
As of now, Israeli sources say 50 hostages remain in Gaza, but only 20 are believed to still be alive, reports Breaking News.
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