Hamas said it is willing to coordinate with the Red Cross to deliver humanitarian aid to Israeli hostages it is holding in Gaza, if Israel agrees to permanently open humanitarian corridors and halt airstrikes during aid distribution.

The announcement followed the release of a disturbing video showing hostage Evyatar David severely emaciated and digging what he said was his own grave. This was the second such video in as many days, prompting widespread condemnation from Western governments, including France, Germany, the UK and the U.S.

Demonstrators take part in a protest to demand the immediate release of hostages held in Gaza since the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel by Hamas and to end the war, as a video released by Hamas of hostage Evyatar David is displayed, in Tel Aviv, Israel, August 2, 2025. REUTERS/Ammar Awad NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVES TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

In response to the video, Israel’s Foreign Ministry said the UN Security Council will hold a special session on Tuesday to address the situation of hostages in Gaza.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he asked the Red Cross to provide humanitarian assistance to the hostages during a conversation with the head of the ICRC’s local delegation.

Protesters hold cutout pictures of hostages as they block a road during a demonstration demanding the immediate end of the war and the release of all hostages who were kidnapped during the deadly October 7, 2023 attack on Israel by Hamas, in Tel Aviv, Israel August 3, 2025. REUTERS/Nir Elias

A statement from The Hostages Families Forum said Hamas’ offer “cannot hide that it has been holding innocent people in impossible conditions for over 660 days,” and demanded their immediate release. “Every hostage who dies will be on Hamas’s hands,” the group added.

Humanitarian conditions deteriorate in Gaza

Gaza’s health ministry reported six more deaths from starvation or malnutrition in the past 24 hours, raising the total to 175, including 93 children. The enclave has been suffering from a severe shortage of food and fuel after Israel restricted aid deliveries in recent months.

COGAT, the Israeli military agency that coordinates aid, said on Sunday that four tankers of UN fuel had entered Gaza to support hospitals, bakeries, kitchens, and other vital services. Egypt’s Al Qahera News TV said two trucks carrying 107 tons of diesel were also expected to enter, but there was no immediate confirmation they had crossed into Gaza.

Belgian military personnel prepare humanitarian aid parcels to load an airplane ahead of a mission to drop them over the Gaza Strip, in an undisclosed location, obtained by Reuters August 3, 2025. Belgian Defence Ministry/Handout via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY

Humanitarian aid is dropped over the Gaza Strip from a Belgian aircraft, obtained by Reuters August 3, 2025. Belgian Defence Ministry/Handout via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

Israel has said it allowed the aid as part of a response to growing international pressure and has paused fighting in some areas and approved air drops and protected routes. Still, UN agencies say air drops are not enough and have urged Israel to allow far greater aid access by land.

Aid trucks looted amid desperation

The Hamas-run Gaza media office said that about 1,600 trucks have entered Gaza since Israel began easing restrictions in late July. However, some trucks have reportedly been looted by desperate civilians and armed groups before reaching official distribution points.

Palestinians carry aid supplies that entered Gaza through Israel, northern Gaza Strip, August 1, 2025. REUTERS/Ebrahim Hajjaj

Meanwhile, Belgium’s air force carried out its first air-drop of humanitarian aid into Gaza in coordination with Jordan, and France has begun delivering 40 tons of supplies from the air.

According to Palestinian health authorities, at least 80 people were killed by Israeli strikes on Sunday, including individuals trying to reach aid hubs. One of the victims was a staff member of the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, whose headquarters in Khan Younis was hit by Israeli fire, igniting a fire in the building.

Displaced Palestinian mother Zainab Dakka eats canned beans with her children inside their tent, from the aid she brought back after an aid delivery that entered Gaza through Israel, in Gaza City, August 1, 2025. REUTERS/Ebrahim Hajjaj

Palestinians carry aid supplies that entered Gaza through Israel, in Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip, August 3, 2025. REUTERS/Ebrahim Hajjaj

Israel says 50 hostages remain in Gaza, though only 20 are believed to be alive. Hamas has refused access to humanitarian agencies, and families of the hostages say they know little about the conditions of their loved ones.