United Nations Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, has said the UN is involved in talks aimed at securing the release of more than 200 hostages taken when Hamas launched its attack on Israel from the Gaza Strip last month.
“We have the obligation to do everything possible to obtain the release of hostages,” he told Reuters news agency.
“We have no leverage over Hamas for that but there are some countries that have capacity of influence.” he said, adding that Qatar has been “extremely positive” and the UN has been in close contact with it.
“Egypt has been very active. Others are doing their best. We are in contact with the Israeli authorities too,” he said.
“It’s absolutely essential that all hostages are released immediately and unconditionally,” he added.
Meanwhile, Guterres said it “doesn’t help Israel in relation to the global public opinion” to see the daily “terrible image of the dramatic humanitarian needs of the Palestinian people”.
He said 630 aid trucks have passed into Gaza over the last 18 days – compared to 500 daily before the war – and “intense negotiations” are ongoing to ensure effective aid deliveries, but until now aid has been “too little, too late”
BBC
