US, Israel request UN Security Council meeting focusing on Gaza captives
A UN Security Council meeting focusing on captives held in Gaza has been requested by Israel and the US, Al Jazeera correspondents at the UN headquarters in New York have said.
Israeli ambassador Danny Danon said former captive Eli Sharabi was expected to open today’s session with a testimony.
Sharabi met earlier this month with US President Donald Trump in the White House, and with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer at 10 Downing Street.
Released captive Eli Sharabi opens UNSC meeting
Released Israeli captive Eli Sharab has addressed the UN Security Council meeting called for by the US and Israel to discuss the fate of 59 captives still in Gaza.
Sharab said he was held in captivity for 491 days and was a “shadow of my former self” after his wife and daughters were killed by Hamas on October 7, 2023.
He called Hamas “terrorist monsters” and claimed to have seen humanitarian aid being stolen by the group in Gaza. “Hamas steals from civilians, blocks aid from reaching those who really need it,” he told the UNSC.
Hamas has repeatedly denied taking aid, blaming any looting on criminal gangs.
Hamas responsible for resumption of war in Gaza, US tells UNSC
US Ambassador Dorothy Shea has told the UN Security Council that Hamas “bears the sole responsibility for the war and the resumption of hostilities” in Gaza, after a failure to respond to President Donald Trump’s warnings.
“Trump has been clear: Hamas must release all hostages now or there will be hell to pay,” Shea said.
She added that while “fighting could end tomorrow if Hamas released the hostages and laid down its weapons,” the group “refused time and time again to accept proposals to extend the ceasefire.”
“We must recognise Hamas for what it is: a savage terrorist organisation that purposefully committed the worst massacre of Jews since the Holocaust,” Shea said.
Hamas refused attempts by the US and Israel to extend the first phase of the ceasefire, but remained committed to implementing the three phase deal in its original form, all had agreed on, which required moving to the second phase of the agreement that included the release of more captives and a permanent end to the war.
As always claiming the opposite of reality. Flat out lying to the UNSC is standard now for the USA.
Hamas offers handover of all hostages to Israel if next phase of ceasefire agreed
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/feb/19/hamas-hostages-israel-gaza-ceasefire-agreement-second-phase
Hamas willing to accept 'any proposal' in exchange for ceasefire resumption - report
https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-846811
Hamas has allegedly told mediators that they are willing to accept any proposal to release Israeli hostages if it includes a resumption of a ceasefire, according to UK-based Qatari news organization Al-Araby Al-Jadeed's report on Thursday.
The Hamas sources also claimed that the terror group did not reject US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff's ceasefire-hostage framework but rather accepted it on the condition that it would lead to a resumed ceasefire.
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