By Michael Hernandez
WASHINGTON (AA) - The leaders of 18 nations whose nationals remain captive in the besieged Gaza Strip demanded their immediate release Thursday and said it would lead to what they called a "credible end of hostilities."
A statement from the leaders of Argentina, Austria, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Colombia, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Spain, Thailand, the UK and the US said the fate of the hostages and Gaza's civilians, "who are protected under international law, is of international concern."
"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," they said.
"Gazans would be able to return to their homes and their lands with preparations beforehand to ensure shelter and humanitarian provisions. We strongly support the ongoing mediation efforts in order to bring our people home," they added.
About 130 hostages held by Hamas remain in captivity in Gaza following an Oct. 7 cross-border attack on Israel that killed less than 1,200 people. Roughly 250 hostages were taken to the coastal enclave that day. Negotiations to secure their release led to more than 100 being freed in November during a short-lived temporary truce.
Hamas is demanding a permanent end to Israel’s ongoing offensive against Gaza in return for any hostage-prisoner deal with Tel Aviv.
Qatar and Egypt-mediated negotiations to secure a cease-fire in exchange for the release of the remaining hostages are ongoing. The latest proposal put forward to Hamas would include a six-week cease-fire in return for the release of 40 hostages.
The US State Department accused Hamas on Monday of having "changed their demands" during talks, alleging that it "certainly does seem like Hamas is more interested in full-scale regional war."
But a senior Biden administration official who discussed Thursday's joint statement with reporters on condition of anonymity said that while Hamas' initial response to the proposal was "totally non-constructive," the Palestinian group later signaled readiness to resume talks based on the plan.
The deal "meets nearly all of the demands that Hamas has had, including key elements," said the official.
"There's a very forward-leaning deal on the table. I think it's the roadmap to the end of the crisis, and all Hamas needs to do is release this vulnerable category of hostages and we'd be moving forward," he said, referring to women, wounded, elderly and sick hostages.
"If there are adjustments here and there that need to be made, of course, we're very much open to that, and we would support that because we want to bring these people home. And ultimately, this is a negotiation," the official added.
The six-week cease-fire is being framed as a path to a longer second phase that would establish a permanent truce. The US, Qatar and Egypt would serve as guarantors.
More than six months into the Israeli onslaught, over 34,000 people have been killed in Gaza, including over 14,000 children, according to Gaza health officials. Vast swathes of Gaza now lay in ruins, pushing 85% of the enclave’s population into internal displacement amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water and medicine, according to the UN.
Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling from the UN’s top court in January said it is "plausible" that Israel is committing genocide. It ordered Tel Aviv to halt such acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.