The recognition of a Palestinian state by Western nations “assassinated” the fragile cease-fire negotiations with Hamas, Israel’s foreign minister told the UN Security Council. 

The foreign minister, Gideon Sa’ar, spoke before the council that convened in New York on Tuesday to discuss the urgency of getting the 50 Israeli hostages from Gaza. 

“There are countries that acted, also in this building, to pressure Israel, instead of Hamas, during sensitive days in the negotiations by attacking Israel, campaigning against Israel, and the announcement of a recognition of a virtual Palestinian state. …They directly assassinated the hostage deal and cease-fire. Let me be clear: These countries prolonged the war. Hamas is responsible for beginning this war by invading Israel and committing the October 7 atrocities,” Mr. Sa’ar said.

Mr. Sa’ar also lashed out at the UN secretary-general, Antonio Guterres, for his “deafening silence” following the release of Hamas and Islamic Jihad hostage videos showing emaciated Israeli hostages in agony. 

“Do you know what Secretary-General Guterres tweeted after the horrible images of Evyatar and Rom were released? Not a word. Deafening silence. Yet we all see his endless and obsessive tweets against Israel,” he said. 

The images of Israeli hostages Rom Braslavski and Evyatar David caused outrage in Israel, with families of hostages calling it a modern-day Holocaust. 

“Hamas sadistically starves our hostages while the terrorists enjoy meat, fish, and vegetables. The world saw the thick, meaty arm of the well-fed terrorist — next to Evyatar, the living skeleton forced to dig his own grave,” Mr. Sa’ar said, stressing that Israel is facilitating “huge amounts of aid into Gaza.”

“No other country acts this way in war. On such a large scale. Under such difficult circumstances. But Hamas loots the aid and uses it as a financial tool,” he added. 

Mr. David’s brother, Ilay, also spoke before the Security Council, referring to an image of a Hamas member’s arm seen handing a can of food to Mr. David in the hostage video as proof that the terror group has enough food.

“Suddenly, Hamas confirmed what we have known for months: The terrorists have plenty of food. The only ones starving in Hamas tunnels are the hostages. The terrorists are choosing to starve them as part of a sick and twisted propaganda campaign,” Ilay David said. 

Negotiations between Israel and Hamas reached an impasse last month as the terror group added new demands to the U.S.-backed proposal for a 60-day cease-fire. 

Hamas has since then said it won’t resume negotiations until the humanitarian situation in Gaza improves, according to reports in Israeli media. 

A Hamas official told The New York Sun that ​​the terror group has been “waiting for more than two weeks for an official response from the Israeli side” to its cease-fire suggestion. 

Israel and America pulled their teams from Doha last month after both claimed that Hamas wasn’t serious about reaching a deal.