By: Fern Sidman

President Donald J. Trump, long regarded as a figure of unyielding strength and resolve, reportedly broke down over the weekend in tears after viewing the latest propaganda video released by Hamas depicting Israeli hostage Evyatar David. The 24‑year‑old Israeli civilian was abducted from the Nova Music Festival during the Hamas assault of October 7, 2023, and has now been held in captivity for 666 days.

The video, which surfaced this week, portrays David in conditions of extreme deprivation. Emaciated and visibly weakened, his bones show beneath his skin. According to descriptions of the footage, he is shown being forced to dig his own grave, an image laden with psychological terror and symbolic cruelty. Observers who viewed the material said it provided stark evidence of torture, prolonged starvation, and relentless abuse — marking a chilling reminder of the suffering endured by those still held by Hamas.

For Trump, a leader who has cultivated a reputation for unwavering toughness, the images provoked an uncharacteristic public display of emotion. Witnesses said the president, after watching the video in a private briefing, wept openly. It was a rare moment in which the man often associated with iron‑willed rhetoric and combative posture responded in raw, human terms.

Make the Deal. Get the Hostages

After composing himself, Trump delivered a forceful directive that reflected both his anguish and his anger. “Make the deal. Get the hostages. Then wipe Hamas off the face of the Earth — everywhere they exist,” he said. His words, according to aides, were not intended as a political soundbite or a campaign slogan. Instead, they were characterized as a deeply visceral response to the cruelty inflicted on David and the other captives still believed to be alive in Gaza.

The statement underscores the central role the hostage crisis continues to play in the broader conflict between Israel and Hamas. Since the October 7 massacre — in which more than 1,200 Israelis were killed and over 250 kidnapped — the release of hostages has been a central focus of Israeli military operations and diplomatic negotiations. Hamas has used the captives as bargaining chips, releasing a handful during short‑lived ceasefire arrangements but holding dozens more in unknown conditions.

Evyatar David’s case is emblematic of the ordeal faced by the hostages. Taken from the Nova Music Festival, a site where hundreds of young Israelis gathered to celebrate life and music, David has now endured nearly two years in captivity. The reference to “666 days in darkness” that accompanied the Hamas video release drew widespread attention, both for its biblical connotations and its brutal messaging.

Human rights advocates noted that the images of David reflect signs of prolonged malnutrition, untreated injuries, and psychological trauma. Experts in hostage situations have pointed out that Hamas’s calculated use of such videos is designed not only to terrorize Israeli society but also to manipulate international opinion and extract political concessions.

For Trump, the video appeared to pierce the armor of political calculation. Those present described his reaction as deeply personal rather than performative. The former president, who has long emphasized strength in the face of adversity, reportedly sat silently for several moments before tears welled in his eyes. Then, visibly shaken, he issued his blunt statement calling for both immediate negotiations to free the hostages and the total eradication of Hamas.

Observers of the moment noted that it stood in sharp contrast to Trump’s usual public persona. His grief and anger reflected not only a political leader responding to a humanitarian tragedy but also a man confronting the brutal realities of war crimes committed against civilians.

The plight of the remaining hostages continues to galvanize international attention. Families of the captives have organized rallies, vigils, and delegations to Washington and other capitals, urging governments to press for their release. Israel has repeatedly stated that freeing the hostages is one of the primary objectives of its military campaign in Gaza.

Trump’s words may inject new urgency into the debate over how to secure their freedom. His directive to “make the deal” suggests a willingness to consider negotiations or intermediated arrangements to bring the captives home, but his follow‑up insistence on eliminating Hamas “everywhere they exist” also highlights his longstanding view that military force remains the ultimate guarantor of security.

Perhaps the most striking element of Trump’s response was its tone. Aides described it as “not political, not performative — human.” The president’s tears over David’s suffering symbolized the universal anguish that transcends political divides when civilians are subjected to systematic abuse and degradation.

The moment also places an emphasis on the enduring power of imagery in conflict. For months, discussions about the hostages have been conducted in the abstract, their plight represented in numbers and negotiations. The Hamas video of Evyatar David, however, put a face and a body to the suffering, exposing the raw brutality of captivity in a way that statistics cannot.

As the conflict continues, the release of hostages remains a priority for both Israel and its allies. Trump’s impassioned reaction signals that the issue will likely remain central in American political discourse as well. Whether his tears translate into concrete policy proposals or shifts in diplomatic posture remains to be seen, but the intensity of his response has already reverberated widely.

For the families of the hostages, the video represents both renewed agony and renewed urgency. For global leaders, it draws a degree of gravitas to the stakes of inaction. And for Trump, it marked an extraordinary moment: a man famed for his iron will, momentarily overcome by the unbearable reality of human suffering, and channeling that emotion into a stark demand — freedom for the captives, and justice against those who hold them.