On Thursday, the leaders of the United States, Britain, France, and other countries urged Hamas to release the hostages it is holding.
Hamas took the hostages during a shocking October 7 attack that ignited the worst war between it and Israel, which has vowed to eliminate the Palestinian group.
In a statement, the leaders stated, “We call for the immediate release of all hostages held by Hamas in Gaza for over 200 days. They include our citizens”.
“We emphasize that the deal on the table to release the hostages would bring an immediate and prolonged ceasefire in Gaza, that would facilitate a surge of additional necessary humanitarian assistance to be delivered throughout Gaza, and lead to the credible end of hostilities”, the statement reads.
“We strongly support the ongoing mediation efforts to bring our people home”, the statement continued.
Israel believes that 129 of the approximately 250 people captured during the Hamas attack on October 7 are still in Gaza, including 34 who the military says are dead.
According to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory, during more than six months of war between Israel and Palestinian terrorists, at least 34,305 people have been killed in Gaza.
