Britain doing ‘everything’ to secure return of hostages held by Hamas – minister
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Britain is doing “everything” possible to save the up to 10 British hostages being held by Hamas, a Foreign Office minister has vowed.
Andrew Mitchell said the Government is “extremely concerned about the fate and the state” of the missing Britons after six citizens were confirmed to have died in the attack on Israel.
He also said Israel has a “moral” responsibility to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza as the Rafah border crossing with Egypt on which hopes had been pinned remains closed.
Two sisters, Noiya, 16, and Yahel, 13, are among the 10 British citizens who have been reported as missing after last weekend’s attack by Hamas.
Mr Mitchell said he does not know where the two sisters or the others are but promised the Government is working flat out to ensure they are found.
“We don’t know where they are and we are thinking of them all the time. And of course we are strongly supporting the attempt by Israel to find them and release them,” he told BBC Breakfast.
“The British Government will do everything we possibly can to get them back, as soon as we possibly can.
“We mourn the six British hostages we know who have died and we are extremely concerned about the fate and the state of the other 10.”
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak told the Commons on Monday that he fears some of the missing are dead as he called for the immediate release of the around 200 hostages.
Mr Mitchell told Sky News: “We pray that they are alive.”
He was unable to elaborate on the efforts to secure their release, but insisted to LBC: “The entire resources of the British Government are involved in doing everything we can to get our citizens back.”
