UN Ambassador Danon calls for 'immediate and unconditional release' of all Israeli hostages in appeal to UN Sec-Gen Guterres

Israel held its breath on Saturday as three more hostages were released, but this time, the images that emerged were harrowing. Eli Sharabi (52), Or Levy (34) and Ohad Ben Ami (56) were returned in a condition that evoked memories of Holocaust survivors, and their emaciated frames shocked the world.

The stark images of their suffering prompted global outrage and a collective gasp.

In response, Israel's UN Ambassador Danny Danon urgently called for the immediate release of all remaining hostages in Gaza, addressing a formal letter to UN Sec.-Gen. António Guterres.

Danon reminded Guterres that the hostages taken captive by Hamas were “tortured, starved, thin, traumatized, exhausted, and in pain,” adding that they were also “victims of a brutal and cynical spectacle orchestrated by Hamas.”

Only Ben Ami will be able to return home to his wife, as the other two released hostages lost their wives in the horrific massacre that took place when Hamas militants and accompanying civilians forcibly took them from their homes in the kibbutzim and kidnapped them into Gaza.

Sharabi's story particularly resonated deeply with spectators when it was revealed that he had no idea his wife and children had been murdered on Oct. 7. Hamas was aware of this and made him speak on their self-created stage, declaring that he was “very happy today to return to...my wife and daughters,” even though they knew he would never see them again. To add to his suffering, Hamas also killed his dog and burned down his home.

In his letter, Danon reminded Guterres that the three men “were held in isolation, without any contact with their families, and denied humanitarian visits by the Red Cross – a blatant violation of international humanitarian law.”

The ambassador also condemned the narrative being spread to the international community, calling it “false propaganda about so-called starvation in Gaza.” He pointed out that while the crowd of Hamas terrorists and civilian onlookers surrounding the Israeli hostages appeared well-fed, the three men “alone bear the unmistakable signs of starvation.”

Danon, declaring that Hamas has “committed crimes against humanity,” concluded his appeal to Guterres with a final declaration: “The world has now seen the brutality firsthand. Silence is no longer an option.”