President Biden, along with 17 other global leaders, released a joint statement on Thursday urging Hamas to release the hostages still held since the attacks in Israel last October. They emphasized that the release of these hostages would pave the way for a sustained ceasefire in the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
The leaders called for the immediate release of all hostages, including their own citizens, who have been held by Hamas for over 200 days. They highlighted that the fate of the hostages and the civilian population in Gaza, protected under international law, is a matter of international concern.
Biden and 17 world leaders call for release of hostages held by Hamas (Credits: USA Today)
According to the statement, securing the release of the hostages would not only lead to an immediate and prolonged ceasefire in Gaza but also facilitate the delivery of much-needed humanitarian aid to the region. It would allow Gazans to return to their homes and lands with adequate preparations in place to ensure shelter and humanitarian provisions.
The signatories of the statement include President Biden and leaders from Argentina, Austria, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Colombia, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Spain, Thailand, and the United Kingdom. All these nations have citizens who are either being held or are missing in Gaza following the attacks by Hamas.
The leaders expressed strong support for ongoing mediation efforts aimed at securing the release of the hostages and resolving the crisis. They reiterated their call on Hamas to release the hostages, stressing the urgency of ending the crisis to focus collective efforts on achieving peace and stability in the region.
The statement comes following the release of a video by Hamas showing one of the hostages, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, an Israeli American man. The timing of the video’s release remains unclear.
Hamas hostages (Credits: VOA News)
The Biden administration has been actively engaged in efforts to secure the release of the hostages, with President Biden meeting recently with Abigail Mor Edan, a young hostage who was released in November.
However, Hamas has stated that it will not release the remaining hostages unless Israel agrees to end the conflict, which has resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of Palestinians and sparked protests on college campuses across the United States.
