In response to Israeli appeals, Hamas says hostages will get no preferential treatment unless humanitarian corridors are opened to provide food and medicine for Gaza’s starving population.
GAZA CITY
Hamas has stated that Israeli hostages held in Gaza will not receive special food privileges, asserting that they will share the same conditions as the wider Palestinian population enduring mass hunger under Israel’s blockade.
In a statement issued Sunday, the group’s military wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, said,
“Hamas does not intentionally starve the captives, but they eat the same food our fighters and the general public eat. They will not receive any special privileges amid the crime of starvation and siege.”
The declaration comes amid rising international concern about both the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the wellbeing of hostages taken during the October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel.
Red Cross Aid Conditional on Access for Gaza
Hamas added that it is open to allowing the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to deliver food and medicine to the Israeli captives—but only if humanitarian corridors are opened for the entire Gaza Strip.
“We are ready to respond positively to any request by the Red Cross to deliver food and medicine to enemy prisoners,” Al-Qassam Brigades said. “However, we condition our acceptance on the opening of humanitarian corridors… across all areas of the Gaza Strip.”
The comments were made in response to a recent appeal by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who called on the ICRC to assist in delivering aid to Israeli hostages. The ICRC has also publicly reiterated its demand for access to the hostages, in accordance with international humanitarian law.
A War of Attrition and Starvation
The statement underscores the broader humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, where more than 60,000 Palestinians have been killed since the war began, and tens of thousands more are suffering from starvation and lack of medical care. Israel’s tight control of aid entry and accusations of obstruction have drawn global criticism.
Meanwhile, Hamas continues to hold more than 50 hostages, taken during the October 7 attacks that killed over 1,100 people in Israel. While some captives have been released during brief ceasefires, negotiations remain deadlocked.
The new statement by Hamas signals a linking of hostage welfare to broader humanitarian access, effectively turning the plight of captives into a bargaining chip in a desperate fight over food, survival, and political leverage.