Berlin, Oct 19, (dpa/GNA) – Relatives of German citizens, kidnapped and held captive in Gaza by Palestinian extremist group Hamas, have asked for more support from Germany, at a meeting with the president of the country’s parliament, Bärbel Bas.
“We talked about the fact that we really expect Germany, not only to stand on Israel’s side and take our side, but to actively act and take a role in this war,” said Roni Roman, whose sister was abducted along with her child, after the meeting at the German parliament building in Berlin on Thursday.
Roman called on Germany to immediately provide humanitarian aid, to ensure that the abductees can receive medical care, and stressed the need to get signs of life from the abductees, and bring them back to Germany immediately.
“We really need Germany to act quickly. We are running out of time,” she said. “There are family members we know have been kidnapped, but we haven’t known how they are for several weeks.”
The Israeli army says a total of 203 people are being held captive by Hamas. Hamas militants kidnapped the hostages during attacks on Israel, launched on October 7.
Among them are several German citizens, although the German government has had no contact with them.
The Hamas attack, left more than 1,400 people dead.
The hostages are being held in the Gaza Strip, which has been sealed off by Israeli forces, and repeatedly hit by Israeli airstrikes. Hamas, which controls the coastal enclave, has claimed that hostages are among the people killed in the strikes.
GNA