Hamas has rejected a call for the release of all hostages being held in Gaza from the 18 nations whose nationals are among those taken by the militant Palestinian group during its assault on Israel on 7 October.
According to Reuters, the signatories of the call were the leaders of the US, Argentina, Austria, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Colombia, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Spain, Thailand and Britain.
They said the release of the hostages would be a step towards ending the crisis in Gaza.
However, Reuters reports that senior Hamas leader Sami Abu Zuhri said Hamas would not be influenced by the statement and said the US needs to force Israel to end its aggression.
In their call, the 18 nations said: ‘We emphasise 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.
‘Gazans would be able to return to their homes and their lands with preparations beforehand to ensure shelter and humanitarian provisions.’
[Image: Chabad.org – https://www.flickr.com/photos/142668406@N06/53330922242/, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=140829421]