“They eat what we eat”: New Video of Emaciated Israeli Soldier Prisoner Expose Israel’s Starvation Policy in Gaza
Gaza (Quds News Network)- The military wing of Hamas, Al-Qassam Brigades, has released a new video showing an emaciated Israeli soldier prisoner, highlighting the devastating Israeli-made famine in Gaza. The video directly states that the Israeli government is imposing starvation on both Israeli prisoners and Palestinians, especially children.
The footage, titled “The Israeli Government Decided to Starve Them”, was published in Arabic, Hebrew, and English by Al-Qassam’s military media unit. It features a visibly frail Israeli soldier prisoner. His bones are prominent, and his body shows severe signs of malnutrition. The brigades said the prisoner was scheduled for release in a swap deal that Israel continues to delay.
In the same clip, heartbreaking scenes of starved Palestinian infants appear. Their bodies have withered into skeletal frames due to months of Israeli-enforced hunger. The video also includes statements by Israeli officials, including National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who is heard saying, “What Gaza needs now is bombs.” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is also quoted: “We will allow only the bare minimum of aid.”
Al-Qassam states in the video: “They eat what we eat. They drink what we drink,” referring to the Israeli soldier prisoners held in Gaza.
The UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, recently confirmed that “the famine in Gaza is entirely man-made.” The agency stressed the urgent need to let humanitarian workers operate freely. Over one million children now face hunger in Gaza.
Human Rights Watch also slammed Israel’s blockade. It described the Israeli aid distribution mechanism as a flawed military structure that has turned humanitarian aid into “a bloodbath and a death trap.”
The Al-Qassam video includes multiple angles of the Israeli prisoner, showing his extreme weight loss. Parallel shots of malnourished Palestinian children drive home the message that starvation in Gaza is widespread and deliberate.
The video also reminds viewers that the prisoner could have been released in a deal. But Israel continues to block progress, leaving both its soldiers and Palestinians to suffer under a policy of starvation.
Gaza today faces its worst humanitarian crisis in modern history. Famine is spreading fast. The population is trapped under relentless Israeli attacks, backed by the United States since October 7, 2023.
According to the Health Ministry, nearly 208,000 Palestinians have been killed or injured since the start of the genocide. At least 159 people, mostly children, have died from starvation and malnutrition alone. More than 2 million have been displaced. Around 90% of Gaza’s buildings lie in ruins.
Pro-Israel Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt said that the ADL was working with the FBI and actively monitoring people online. He listed out what online activity they were monitoring, as well as what he referred to as the "extremists" they were monitoring, including pro-Palestine and anti-genocide activists.
On October 10, the Israeli forces completed the first phase of withdrawal under the ceasefire deal to the “Yellow Line,” a non-physical demarcation line separating the Israeli occupation forces from certain areas of Gaza, while occupying roughly 53 percent of the Strip.