In a demonstration of international solidarity, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Israel, Eli Cohen led a meeting with 22 ambassadors and diplomats representing countries whose citizens have been abducted by Hamas and are currently held in the Gaza Strip. The top priority of this gathering was to demand the immediate release of the abductees and to facilitate visits by the Red Cross to verify their conditions.
Minister Cohen minced no words in condemning the actions of Hamas, stating, “Hamas’ crimes are unforgivable. The kidnapping of civilians, including babies, children, women, and Holocaust survivors, is against every international law and every human norm.”
The participating countries, including Tanzania, Russia, Romania, Portugal, Peru, Serbia, Colombia, Austria, Ethiopia, Argentina, Philippines, Georgia, Sri Lanka, France, Mexico, Denmark, Hungary, Italy, Thailand, Canada, the Netherlands, Poland, and the European Union, have all experienced the anguish of their citizens being abducted by the Hamas terrorist organization.
During the meeting, Minister Cohen emphasized the determination of the coalition to use their collective influence to exert significant international pressure on Hamas for the return of all abductees, regardless of their citizenship. The coalition also issued a demand that international organizations and the Red Cross be granted access to the abductees to verify their conditions and the circumstances of their captivity.