President Joe Biden and a group of 17 other heads of state and government, whose citizens are held hostage by Hamas, are demanding the “immediate release” of the hostages and are urging the militant group to accept the deal that has been pending for some time in 2018. A joint statement was issued on Thursday.
The statement – which was issued simultaneously by the governments of Argentina, Austria, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Colombia, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Spain, Thailand and the United Kingdom – said: “The question of the hostages and the civilian population in Gaza protected under international law is of international concern.” .
The statement added, “We emphasize that the agreement on the table to release the hostages will achieve an immediate and prolonged ceasefire in Gaza, will facilitate an increase in the necessary additional humanitarian aid that will be delivered throughout Gaza, and lead to a credible end to hostilities.” is reading.
The leaders' statement also stresses that Gazans “will be able to return to their homes and lands with advance preparations to ensure shelter and humanitarian supplies.”
The statement asked Hamas, “Let us end this crisis so that we can collectively focus our efforts on bringing peace and stability to the region.”
A senior Biden administration official, who briefed reporters on the announcement, described the “group of leaders” who collaborated on the joint statement as “highly unusual” and said the reason the leaders were able to unanimously agree on the wording of the statement was “largely” because of the current situation with… “Hostages.”
The leaders' joint statement comes a day after Hamas released a proof-of-life video showing one of the hostages, Israeli-American Hersh Goldberg Poulin, after more than 200 days in captivity.
In the undated video, which appears to have been filmed under duress, Goldberg Bolin accused the Israeli government of abandoning people held hostage by Hamas, and claimed that about 70 prisoners had been killed in the Israeli bombing campaign.
The 23-year-old Israeli-American was taken hostage at the Nova Tribe music festival after Hamas launched its attack from neighboring Gaza on October 7. The video shows Goldberg Bolin losing part of his left arm. Witnesses said he lost it when attackers threw grenades at a shelter where people were taking refuge. According to these witnesses, Goldberg Bolin tied a tourniquet around his wound before Hamas activists stuffed him into the truck.
On Wednesday, Biden met with Abigail Idan, a four-year-old Israeli-American who was also taken hostage during the October attacks. She was released as part of a temporary ceasefire agreement partly negotiated by the United States.
The official described the Oval Office meeting between the president and the four-year-old and her family as lasting more than an hour, with Biden allowing Abigail to play under the famous desk made from the timbers of the HMS ship. firm They crawl through the same door into the office made famous by a portrait of John F. Kennedy Jr., son of then-President John F. Kennedy.
The White House official placed the blame for continued hostilities in Gaza squarely on Hamas's rejection of the pending hostage deal, especially on Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar.
He added: “It really comes down to one person to accept the deal… Now if there are adjustments here and there that need to be made, of course we are very open to that and we will support that because we want to bring in those people.” Home,” the official said.
“There is an agreement on the table that would lead to an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, simply with the release of women, wounded, elderly and sick hostages, who are ready to go. We have settled the matter in minute detail, and Hamas has rejected that. That is why “The fighting is still ongoing in Gaza.”
“As horrific as this crisis is in many different dimensions, there is a fundamental, fundamental truth that Hamas is holding hostages, releasing hostage videos and refusing to allow the hostages to return to their families, and if they do, this crisis will end. It is just a clear path Extremely.”
Despite US pleas not to do so, Israel said it was “moving forward” with its military campaign in Rafah.
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