The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) added to alarm calls, urging immediate access to evaluate hostages and provide assistance.
Shocking Videos of Hostages Released
It was unveiled after two distinct militant groups in Gaza released videos. On Thursday, Palestinian Islamic Jihad posted a video of the gaunt, crying 21-year-old Rom Braslavski.
Hamas posted a video of what it said was 24-year-old Evyatar David, weak and hollow-eyed as he dug the alleged grave into which he would soon be put.
The two had been seized from the Nova music festival held in Israel during a Hamas aggression against Jews on 7 October. There are 49 hostages who still languish in Gaza, along with some 251 others initially held captive. Israel says that 27 of the thousands left are now dead.
After the video was released, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu offered his "deep shock" and vowed to seek the return of all hostages. He called on the Red Cross to get medical help and food in there by Sunday.
Red Cross Asks for Access; Faces Complaints
The ICRC said it was shocked by the video, which indicated the hostages were "in lifesaving conditions. Once more, it demanded access to the detainees, medical assistance, and contact with family members.
Hamas's armed wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, said it would enable the Red Cross to enter on the condition that humanitarian corridors be opened and air raids halted during relief efforts.
Nevertheless, the Red Cross has attracted criticism in Israel for allegedly ignoring the hostages. The group has previously stated that they rely on consent from all warring parties to deliver their mission.
Palestinians, however, have also attacked the Red Cross for not being allowed to visit Palestinian detainees in Israeli prisons since Oct. 7.
Protests and International Outcry Grow
In Tel Aviv this past weekend, crowds massed — families of hostages themselves among them — protesting for prompt efforts to complete the problem of the remaining hostages.
His family called Braslavski "broken" and implored Israeli and US officials to intervene and bring him back.
David's family said Hamas had "cynically starved" him and that he was a "living skeleton" as he struggled to survive.
Leaders across Europe responded strongly. Chancellor Friedrich Merz of Germany described the videos on Wednesday as "appalling" and demanded that hostages be released before any kind of cease-fire could be negotiated.
Hamas was an embodiment of "This side is abject cruelty, the other is extreme stupidity", said French President Emmanuel Macron, who also requested initiatives again to release the hostages and find political resolve in 2-state.
France, the UK, and Canada have taken steps to indicate they will support recognising a Palestinian state under certain conditions -- a development denounced by Israel.
Amid accusations, the Gaza crisis deepens.
They have released the hostage videos just as UN-backed organizations report a deepening hunger crisis in Gaza. According to the health ministry run by Hamas, 175 people have died of malnutrition since the war started -- at least 93 of them children.
The aid crisis has been blamed by aid agencies on Israeli restrictions, a charge which Israel denies and accuses Hamas of using to its advantage. Reports by the UN and other international organisations are misleading, Israeli officials said.
Still, some Israeli protesters have shown pictures of their children starving and demanded an exchange. Israel is facing mounting international pressure as global public opinion grows more critical of its actions in Gaza.
The crisis continues to be acute, and aid groups urged immediate humanitarian responses along with an appeal for a political solution.
