President Isaac Herzog and his wife Michal were received this morning (Monday) by Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda at the Presidential Palace in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania. The two presidents held a diplomatic meeting, followed by joint statements to the media.
In his speech, Herzog addressed Hamas’s accusations of starvation: “The State of Israel has been fighting for nearly two years to bring our hostages home and to restore security for all our citizens. We grieve every harm to innocents, and in response to your remarks, Mr. President, we are investing tremendous efforts on humanitarian matters and in upholding international law. As I presented to you, just this week 23,000 tons of humanitarian supplies entered Gaza,” he explained.
Hundreds of Trucks Awaiting Distribution
“There are hundreds of trucks waiting for distribution, and the UN is not advancing their delivery. We encourage humanitarian airdrops by more and more countries, and we invite all nations to join this vital mission of significantly improving the humanitarian situation in Gaza. Hamas’s campaign of false accusations on this matter, while ignoring its direct responsibility for the terrible suffering of Gaza’s residents, is deceitful and distorts reality,” he added.
The Key to Resolving the Crisis in Gaza
Herzog displayed an image from the “proof of life” published by Hamas, showing hostage Evyatar David in a disturbing medical condition, visibly severely malnourished and forced to dig in his own grave.
“Evyatar David is a young Israeli of Lithuanian descent. Only two days ago, Hamas released footage of him in captivity: look at the captor’s hand—thick and fleshy—compared to Evyatar’s emaciated body, whose life is in real danger. Hamas also released footage of another hostage, Rom Braslavski, who is also in a desparate state, along with dozens of other hostages in Gaza. I cry out from here to the entire world: We cannot stand idly by! All of them must be freed and brought home. That is the key to resolving the grave crisis in the Middle East and Gaza. The hostages are victims of horrific crimes against humanity,” Herzog stated.
“These horrifying photos are yet another testimony that while Israel provides humanitarian aid to Gaza, innocent Israelis are held in tunnels, enduring horrific torture, stripped of all rights. We must, must rouse all of humanity—and there is only one path: to bring them all home,” Herzog declared.
The President’s Address:
