The US, along with leaders from 17 countries whose citizens are also held hostage in Gaza, released a joint statement on Thursday for the first time during the conflict, calling on Hamas to release the remaining hostages.
A senior administration official said the cohort of countries tried to initiate a joint statement earlier during the war but were unable to come to an agreement due to different views of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
“We call for the immediate release of all hostages held by Hamas and Gaza now for over 200 days. They include our citizens,” the statement said. “The fate of the hostages and the civilian population in Gaza who are protected under international law is of international concern.”
The version of the joint statement released on Thursday had been in the works for the past two weeks, the official said.
Ceasefire to Gaza just for release of women, wounded, elderly, and sick
The deal on the table that would bring a ceasefire to Gaza simply with the release of women, wounded, elderly, and sick hostages is ready to go, a senior administration official said, and Hamas has rejected that.
The statement is signed by leaders from the United States, Argentina, Austria, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Colombia, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Spain, Thailand and the United Kingdom.
According to the statement, the leaders said they emphasize the deal on the table which would bring an immediate and prolonged ceasefire, facilitate a surge of necessary humanitarian assistance and lead to a credible end of hostilities.
“Gazans would be able to return to their homes and their lands with preparations beforehand to ensure shelter and humanitarian provisions,” according to the statement.
The official denied allegations that Israel is preventing the deal.
The US deal was a key topic in the last conversation President Biden had with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about a week ago, and the Israelis fully agreed to that proposal, the official said.
What came back from Hamas was not a constructive response at all, he added.
Hamas leaders on the outside say all sorts of things, but the decision-makers are inside Gaza, living deep underground and holding the hostages, the official said.
“The core truth, there’s a deal on the table. It meets nearly all of the demands that Hamas has had, including in key elements, one of which I just spoke with,” the official said. “And what they need to do is release the vulnerable category of hostages to get things moving.'”
The Hostages and Families Forum issued a response to the joint statement, saying: “We welcome the statement of the world leaders calling for the immediate release of all the hostages, and which puts their issue at the top of the world’s priorities, and call on other leaders to join this call.
“The statement is the result of hard work carried out by the families of the abductees in recent months, in front of decision-makers from all over the world, with the aim of bringing all of them home, those who are alive for rehabilitation and the murdered for burial.
“We call for the immediate release of all the abductees that have been held by Hamas in Gaza for over 200 days. They include our citizens. The fate of the abductees and the civilian population in Gaza, protected under international law, is of international concern.
“We will emphasize that the pending deal for the release of the hostages will lead to an immediate and prolonged ceasefire in Gaza, which will facilitate the introduction of necessary humanitarian aid to be provided throughout Gaza and lead to a reliable end to hostilities. The residents of Gaza will be able to return to their homes and lands with preliminary preparations that will ensure protection under humanitarian conditions.”
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