Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid criticized Benjamin Netanyahu's government on Friday after Hamas's military wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, released a video of Israeli prisoner Avitar David, who is held in the Gaza Strip. Lapid urged government members to watch the video and reflect on the suffering of the prisoners, stating that they should imagine how Avitar is trying to survive inside the tunnel.

For his part, the leader of the opposition "Democrats" party, Yair Golan, accused Netanyahu of not securing the release of prisoners because he believes it harms his political interests, asserting that this is the truth. In a related context, the mother of the prisoner, Galya David, expressed her hope that her son is alive, noting that for the first time she dared to watch a recording showing him.

The newspaper "Yedioth Ahronoth" reported that the families of the detained prisoners and former detainees demanded that the government quickly finalize a prisoner exchange deal to end their children's suffering in Gaza. The video released by the Al-Qassam Brigades showed prisoner Avitar suffering from severe weight loss due to Israel's starvation policy in Gaza, as he appeared sitting on a bed in a narrow room, with his bones visible due to malnutrition.

The video also included previous footage of him inside a car with another prisoner, watching the release ceremony of prisoners as part of a previous deal in January, and "Al-Qassam" confirmed that the prisoners have "eaten and drunk what we eat and drink," along with scenes of children in Gaza suffering from malnutrition amid the ongoing Israeli blockade.

In statements to the media, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu was seen discussing the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza, saying: "Allowing the minimum amount of aid to enter," while National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir stated: "I believe the next phase should include sending bombs to Gaza," referring to the continuation of the starvation policy.

Last February, "Al-Qassam" broadcast a video showing moments of the handover of Israeli prisoners, including Avitar, who appeared to be suffering from malnutrition, pleading with Netanyahu to save him and return to his homeland, expressing his shock at Israel's treatment of prisoners. The two prisoners confirmed that their lives are in danger and that they demand to return to their homes.

"Al-Qassam" accuses Israel of not caring about the lives of prisoners for its political interests, while Hamas and Israel began direct negotiations in Qatar last July, aimed at a prisoner exchange and a ceasefire, but the negotiations recently stalled after Washington and Tel Aviv withdrew their teams from Doha.

Since the start of the Israeli aggression on Gaza on October 7, 2023, Israel has continued to impose a severe blockade, leading to widespread famine and the death and injury of thousands of Palestinians, including children and women, with hundreds of thousands displaced, amid a catastrophic deterioration of humanitarian conditions, and American support for the policies of occupation.