Ilay David, the brother of Evyatar David, the hostage who was filmed being forced to dig his own grave in a video published by the Hamas terrorist organization, addressed the UN Security Council session on the hostage crisis today (Tuesday).

"Mr. President, members of the Security Council, distinguished delegates, My name is Ilay David, and I am speaking before you today not as a politician or a diplomat, but as a brother. My younger brother, Evyatar David along with Guy Gilboa Dalal and 48 other hostages are being held hostage by Hamas in Gaza," David began.

He described his brother, saying: "Evyatar is the kindest person I know. I learn from him how to be a better son. He is shy, but full of life He has the soul of a musician. He has played the guitar since he was 10, and we play music together every week."

"Evyatar was kidnapped from the Nova music festival at the age of 22. He went there to celebrate life, to dance, to enjoy the music he loves. Evyatar is a gifted guitarist. Music is part of who he is," he explained. "Since that day, my brother and the other hostages have endured an unimaginable nightmare. This is not just a figure of speech, their lives are truly hanging by a thread. We now know from medical reports and other indications that Evyatar and Guy are on the brink of death. They may only have days left to live. DAYS. That is how urgent this is. They have each lost nearly half of their body weight. My little brother now weighs only around forty kilograms. That’s just around ninety pounds."

"The world has heard about the atrocities of Hamas of October 7th and in the 22 months since, but what is happening to Evyatar and Guy is an act of calculated and depraved cruelty that defies human comprehension. We have heard the testimonies, from those who were released from Hamas’ tunnels, and every account makes our fears worse. When your brother, your son, your father, your partner is being held in Gaza, there is never good news. The only thing you can hold onto is that they might still be alive. But even that hope is fading. Because the truth is, we don’t know how much time they have left," he said.

David described the cruel way Hamas has used his brother for propaganda purposes. "Five months ago, on February 22nd, we received what we thought at the time was the cruelest possible emotional torment to Evyatar. In February, after 500 days in captivity, Hamas broadcasted Evyatar and Guy. They were brought out of the tunnels. Hamas forced them to watch their fellow captives being released. Then, Evyatar and Guy were sent back into the dark tunnels. We thought, at the time, that this was the pinnacle of evil."

"But then, just this past weekend, we received a new video from hell. We were reminded just how much more cruel and inhuman Hamas and its sick partners can be. My brother was a living skeleton. He had barely the strength to move or speak, his voice barely recognizable. In that video, my little brother was forced to speak to the world and then actively begin to dig his own grave inside a filthy, dark, tunnel in Gaza," he said.

"My mother and I could not even bring ourselves to watch it. We knew that if we did, we would be unable to function. My father and my sister, however, felt they had to see him, to hear his voice, to feel him somehow. Now, those images haunt them. My father cannot sleep, and my mother has not stopped crying ever since. What would you do if - God forbid - it was your son, brother, partner, father? We are here because we and the other hostage families cannot wait any longer. We need to reunite with them, to hug them and to feel them close. There are still fathers whose children are waiting for their return. We are all waiting for their return," he added.

He continued: "For us, the mission is clear and urgent: we must save Evyatar’s life, and the life of his friend Guy. We must ensure that all the hostages are being released immediately and unconditionally - we don’t have more time - they don’t have more time - every minute counts."

"The last video also exposed another horrifying truth. As my younger brother, a living skeleton, was forced to speak and dig his future grave, you can see the chubby and well-fed hand of a Hamas terrorist enter into the frame. Suddenly, Hamas confirmed what we have known for months: the terrorists have plenty of food. The only ones starving in Hamas’ tunnels are the hostages: my brother, Guy and the 48 others," he said.

He stated: "According to testimonies, we know that the terrorists are in a room nearby, not in the filthy dungeon where Evyatar and Guy are held. They are choosing to starve them as part of a sick and twisted propaganda campaign. They use them and starve them as a weapon of war."

"Survivors of captivity, including Tal Shoham and Omer Wenkert, who were held in the same space with my brother Evyatar and his friend Guy, testified to this. They told us that the terrorists always had plenty of food nearby and would even relish it loudly, while the hostages had none. It is all part of a calculated plan to torture the hostages, starve them, break their spirit, both psychologically and physically," David said.

He accused the UN of ignoring the plight of the hostages until now. "This is a humanitarian crisis - one of the hostages - that is not being discussed here. Not here in the Security Council and not in other UN forums. The very soul of humanity is being scarred by Hamas's barbaric actions. We, the family of Evyatar, refuse to give up hope. We are weeping, we are suffering, but we are also fighting with every fiber of our being. We will not give up until we see him back home. Until my mother and my father can hug him again."

He made a direct and urgent call to the UN:

  • "First, we must demand the immediate and unconditional release of Evyatar David, Guy Gilboa Dalal, and all the other hostages - living and deceased. The time for deliberation has run out. Their lives depend on immediate action. Evyatar, Guy and at the very least 18 other hostages are still alive! After 660 days, they have somehow managed to survive - and we call on you to recuse them from Hamas’s dungeons underground."
  • "Second, we must call for humanitarian aid to reach the hostages. While aid flows into Gaza to help the population, the hostages are being denied even the most basic necessities of life. They haven’t received a shred of humanitarian aid since they were captive. This is a flagrant violation of international law."
  • "Third, we must recognize that this is a matter of life and death, requiring urgent medical intervention. Evyatar and Guy need immediate access to proper food and life-saving medical care. Every moment of delay is a step closer to a final, tragic outcome."
  • "To the leaders of the world, to every member of this Council, and to the global community: your silence in the face of this monstrous cruelty is complicity. I urge you, do not let them die. We don’t have time. Do not let them spend another minute in darkness, suffering beyond imagination."

"Act now. Before it is too late. Save Evyatar David. bring my little brother home."