White House & 17 Other Countries Call for Release of Israeli Hostages (Copy)

Today, the United States, along with leaders from 17 countries whose citizens are also held hostage in Gaza, released a joint statement calling on Hamas to release the remaining hostages. As the statement reads, "We call for the immediate release of all hostages held by Hamas in Gaza for over 200 days. They include our own citizens. The fate of the hostages and the civilian population in Gaza, who are protected under international law, is of international concern... We reiterate our call on Hamas to release the hostages, and let us end this crisis so that collectively we can focus our efforts on bringing peace and stability to the region."