AJC Launches Powerful NYT Ad to Spotlight Hostage Crisis in Gaza

NEW YORK CITY NY (VINnews)-The American Jewish Committee (AJC) has taken out a striking full-page advertisement in The New York Times to draw urgent attention to the plight of hostages still held by Hamas in Gaza — including 24-year-old Evyatar, who was abducted during the October 7, 2023, terror attacks in Israel.

The ad, featuring a stark side-by-side image of Evyatar before and after his capture, carries the headline: “Kidnapped. Starved.” It accuses Hamas of keeping hostages in “brutal conditions” and urges the public to help bring them home.

According to the AJC, mainstream media coverage of the ongoing hostage crisis has been inconsistent, and the suffering of captives like Evyatar has largely faded from public discourse. The ad’s opening line — “The press won’t tell their story. We’ll never stop.” — underscores the organization’s frustration with what it sees as a lack of sustained attention to these humanitarian abuses.

AJC leaders say the campaign aims to re-center the conversation on the human cost of the October 7 attacks and to mobilize international pressure on Hamas to release all remaining hostages.

“People cannot be allowed to forget these individuals or the atrocities being committed against them,” the committee stated in a press release. “We ran this ad to remind the world that behind the headlines are human beings enduring unimaginable suffering.”

The ad is part of a broader AJC advocacy push, which includes diplomatic outreach, social media campaigns, and partnerships with families of hostages. By placing it in The New York Times — one of the most widely read newspapers in the United States — the organization hopes to reach policymakers, opinion leaders, and the general public alike.

“Every day these hostages remain in captivity is a day too long,” the AJC said. “Our message is clear: bring them home now.”