UN says renewed Gaza violence makes hostage return difficult

21/3/2025 6:18

The United Nations said on Thursday

that each day of renewed violence in Gaza makes the return of

the remaining hostages held there a more distant objective.



U.N. Assistant Secretary-General for the Middle East Khaled

Khiari said the return to hostilities threatens all civilians,

including hostages, of whom 24 are thought still to be alive.



"With every passing day, we move further away from the

objective of returning the remaining hostages safely to their

homes," Khiari told a U.N. Security Council briefing.



At least 91 more Palestinians were killed and dozens wounded

in airstrikes across Gaza on Thursday, in addition to hundreds

killed since Israeli strikes resumed on Tuesday, Gaza's health

ministry said.



Israel's U.N. ambassador Danny Danon told the meeting the

strikes on what he called Hamas terror targets would continue

"until every last hostage is home."



Acting U.S. Representative to the UN Dorothy Shea blamed

Hamas for the resumption of hostilities by "refusing time and

time again to accept proposals to extend the ceasefire."



"President Trump has been clear: Hamas must release all 59

hostages immediately – including American citizens ... or pay a

steep price," she said. "We continue to stand with Israel as

they defend themselves and push to secure the release of all

hostages from Hamas captivity."



Shea appeared in front of reporters before the Security

Council meeting with Eli Sharabi, an Israeli hostage who was

released on February 8, only to discover that his British-born

wife and two daughters had been killed in the Hamas attacks on

October 7, 2023.



Sharabi, who also addressed the Security Council, said he

had been held mostly underground for 491 days and treated worse

than an animal, "chained, starved, and beaten, humiliated."



"I've come back from hell," he said.



Sharabi said the United Nations and the Red Cross needed to

act to bring home the remaining 59 hostages, including the

bodies of those killed.



Britain's deputy U.N. ambassador James Kariuki said London

condemned as "unacceptable" a statement from Israeli Defense

Minster Israel Katz warning of the total destruction of Gaza.



Kariuki said the January ceasefire deal had "fallen apart"

with the Israeli air strikes and Britain urged the sides to

urgently return to it as "the best chance we had seen to return

the hostages to their families and end the suffering."



Russia's representative Dmitry Polyanskiy said there was no

justification for Sharabi's treatment, but continued: "we also

grieve over all those who died as a result of the escalation

which has been going on for over 18 months now."



"This endless vicious cycle of violence needs to end," he

said, adding that Russia deeply regretted the resumption of

Israeli military operations.



Palestinian U.N. envoy Riyad Mansour offered condolences to

Sharabi and said Palestinians understood his pain, "because we

live it, they endure it every day," while adding:



"If Netanyahu truly cared about the hostages, he would not

have shattered the ceasefire that was allowing for their

release."



Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's decision to

resume bombardments in Gaza has triggered protests in Israel

with a coalition of hostage families and Netanyahu critics

regrouping and accusing him of using the Gaza war for political

ends.



The war started after Hamas militants attacked Israeli

communities in October 2023, killing 1,200 people and taking

more than 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Gaza

health authorities say Israel has killed more than 49,000

Palestinians in the ensuing conflict, which has reduced the

enclave to rubble.