Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Danon and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar spoke to reporters this afternoon (Tuesday) ahead of the UN Security Council's meeting on the ongoing hostage crisis in the Gaza Strip.
Danon noted that Israel had called for the Security Council to meet "after we saw the horrific footage last week of hostages Evyatar David and Rom Braslavski in terrible conditions. Innocent souls who remain in Hamas terror tunnels."
He declared that Israel "will not allow them to be forgotten."
Minister Sa'ar stated: "I came to the United Nations today because our hostages are still being starved and tortured by Hamas and Islamic Jihad in the dungeons of Gaza. I came here to put the issue of the hostages front and center on the world stage. They cannot be forgotten."
"I came to call for the immediate and unconditional release of our hostages," Sa'ar said. "On October 7th, Hamas committed evil crimes like the Nazis and ISIS did. They took 251 hostages into cruel captivity. 50 of them are still there."
"This past weekend, the world witnessed the cruel starvation of Evyatar David and Rom Braslavski, tortured deliberately by Hamas and Islamic Jihad," he continued. "The world saw their terrible condition: bones standing out in their skin like living skeletons. Evyatar was forced to dig his own grave. This is satanic! Hamas and Islamic Jihad use the starvation and torture as part of a deliberate and well-planned sadistic propaganda campaign."
Sa'ar stated that "the truth must be told: Israel is facilitating huge amounts of aid into Gaza. No other country acts this way in war, under such difficult circumstances."
The foreign minister criticized those nations that seek to recognize a Palestinian state while Hamas continues to starve and torture hostages. "The world has been turned upside down. There are countries that acted - also in this building - to pressure Israel instead of Hamas, during sensitive days in the negotiations. By attacking Israel. Campaigning against Israel. And their announcement to recognize a virtual Palestinian state.
"They gave Hamas free gifts and an incentive to continue this war," he accused. "They directly assassinated the hostage deal and ceasefire. They gave Hamas free gifts."
"Let me be clear," he added. "These countries prolonged the war. Hamas is responsible for beginning this war - by invading Israel and committing the October 7th atrocities. Hamas is also responsible for the continuation of this war - by still refusing to release our hostages and lay down its arms."
"The international pressure must be on Hamas. Anything else - only prolongs this war," Sa'ar concluded.