Ukraine urges Hamas to lay down arms and release Israeli hostages

“Hamas' inhuman treatment of the Israeli hostages deserves a very strong condemnation," he wrote.

"People in Gaza should not remain suffering because of Hamas' heinous crimes. It must lay down its arms and release all hostages immediately.” 

He added that civilians in Gaza must receive full and immediate humanitarian aid. Sybiha also stressed that a complete ceasefire must remain a top priority.

On Aug. 2, the Israel Defense Forces announced that planes from Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Germany, and France had dropped 90 packages of humanitarian aid, including food, into northern and southern Gaza.

On July 28, U.S. President Donald Trump claimed the United States will establish “food centers” in Gaza to address the famine caused by Israel’s blockade of humanitarian aid.

On July 24, major media outlets from the US, UK, and France — including Reuters, ABC News, AP, BBC, and AFP — reported that their journalists in Gaza were starving. In a joint statement, they said they were enduring the same “horrific conditions as the people they are reporting on.”

As reported by Reuters on Aug. 3, Hamas declared it will not disarm unless an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital is established.