Israel urges UN Security Council to pressure Hamas to release hostages
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Israel's Foreign Minister Israel Katz at a meeting of the United Nations Security Council on March 11.
PHOTO: REUTERS
UNITED NATIONS - Israel’s Foreign Minister Israel Katz on March 11 demanded the United Nations Security Council “put as much pressure as possible” on Palestinian militant group Hamas to release the people it took hostage during the Oct 7 attack on Israel.
He addressed the 15-member council, which met to discuss a UN report that found there were “reasonable grounds to believe” sexual violence, including the rape and gang rape of Israeli women,
“We are asking you to condemn the sexual violence crimes these barbarians committed in the name of the Muslim religion,” Mr Katz told the UN Security Council, urging the body “to put as much pressure as possible on the Hamas organisation to release immediately and unconditionally all the kidnapped hostages”.
He called for sanctions to be imposed on Hamas, accusing the group of crimes “worse than the terror actions carried out by Al-Qaeda, ISIS (Islamic State in Iraq and Syria) and other terror organisations” which have been targeted by the council.
The council has called for the immediate, unconditional release of all hostages in resolutions adopted in November and December. It is currently considering a US-drafted resolution that includes a condemnation of the Oct 7 attack by Hamas, “as well as its taking and killing of hostages, murder of civilians, and sexual violence including rape”.
United States Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield urged council members to condemn Hamas.
“There can be no doubt about what happened on Oct 7. The evidence before us is damning and devastating. Now, the only question is: How will we respond? Will this council finally, finally, finally condemn Hamas’ sexual violence? Or will we continue to stay silent?” she asked the council.
Hamas killed 1,200 people and seized 253 hostages on Oct 7, according to Israeli tallies. Israel has retaliated by launching an air and ground assault on Hamas in the Gaza Strip that has killed more than 31,000 people, the health authorities in Gaza say.
Palestinian UN Ambassador Riyad Mansour accused Israel in the UN Security Council of pursuing the “forcible displacement of our people by making Gaza unliveable”. REUTERS
