18 countries, including Bulgaria, called on Hamas to release the Israeli hostages

18 countries, including the United States and Bulgaria, today called on the Palestinian movement “Hamas” to release sick, elderly and injured Israeli hostages as a way to end the crisis in the Gaza Strip, Reuters reported.

“We call for the immediate release of all hostages held by Hamas in Gaza for more than 200 days,” the countries said in a joint statement, which a senior US official called an unusual show of unity.

According to Reuters, all 18 countries have citizens abducted by Hamas, six months after the Palestinian movement carried out an Oct. 7 attack in southern Israel that killed about 1,200 people.

Among the signatories of the appeal are the leaders of Austria, Argentina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Great Britain, Germany, Denmark, Spain, Canada, Colombia, Poland, Portugal, Romania, USA, Serbia, Thailand, Hungary and France.

“We emphasize that the proposed agreement for the release of the hostages can lead to an immediate and lasting ceasefire in Gaza, which will help the flow of additional needed humanitarian aid into it and lead to a credible end to the hostilities,” the statement said. “Gaza residents will be able to return to their homes and lands with prior arrangements to provide them with shelter and sustenance,” it said.

A senior US official who briefed reporters on the document said there were some indications that a deal on the hostage crisis was possible, but added that it was not certain. He did not give details, but said the decision rested with “one man” – the leader of Hamas (in the Gaza Strip) Yahya Sinwar.

The hostage proposal, presented earlier this year, called for sick, elderly and injured hostages in Gaza to be freed in exchange for a six-week, extendable truce to allow humanitarian aid to be delivered to the Palestinian enclave.

According to the US official, it allows the unrestricted return of Gazans to the northern part of the Strip. He added that the idea for a joint statement came about two weeks ago when White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan met with relatives of the hostages.

The document was released a day after US President Joe Biden met in the Oval Office with freed hostage Abigail Edan, a four-year-old American girl held captive after Hamas militants killed her parents in front of her.

“She played in the Oval Office and crawled under the president’s desk,” the official said, adding that US authorities are currently analyzing the video released on Tuesday of American hostage Hersh Goldberg-Paulin.

Israeli authorities have not confirmed or commented on the proposal presented in the application.

An Israeli government spokesman told reporters, commenting on diplomatic efforts, that “it is Hamas that is pushing” on the deal.

“It is Hamas that continues to stand up from the table. It is Hamas that refuses to release the people. They must be released immediately,” said the representative of the Israeli authorities.