By direction of Foreign Minister Eli Cohen, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs sent letters to the Pope, the United Nations Secretary General, and the President of the Red Cross following the release of video footage of the Israeli citizen, Avera ​​Menigstu, who is being held captive by the terrorist organization Hamas.

Cohen instructed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to send letters to Pope Francis, the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, the President of the Red Cross, the Director General of the World Health Organization and other senior officials of the UN bodies in Geneva with a request to act for the release of the Israeli citizens and the bodies of the soldiers held by the Hamas organization in Gaza.

"Bringing the bodies of the soldiers for proper Jewish burial and returning the Israeli citizens to the embrace of their families is a moral obligation of the Israeli government and of all representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Israel and the world," Cohen said. "We will continue to work with the international community to expose the cruel face of the terrorist organization Hamas until they are returned home."

The background to the sending of the letters is the publication of the video in which the Israeli citizen, Avera ​​Menigstu, who has been held captive by the terrorist organization Hamas in Gaza for over 8 years, appears in flagrant violation of international humanitarian law, without providing information about his health condition and without being able to contact his family or receive visits from the Red Cross.... Read More: Arutz-7