Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen heads to New York with families of hostages held by Hamas

Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen is heading to New York Monday night to speak at the United Nations Security Council on Tuesday on the Hamas attacks and Israel’s war against the terror organisation, The Times of Israel reported. He would bring families of Israelis kidnapped by Hamas, and would also take part in events with them in New York, Israel’s Foreign Ministry told The Times of Israel. Eli Cohen is also expected to meet UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, as well as other foreign ministers who will be attending, but that is yet to be decided on. At the UNSC, Cohen will speak about the Hamas atrocities of October 7 and Israel’s response to it. On Monday, the Israel Defence Forces said it had contacted the families of 222 hostages held by Hamas. The UN Security Council is scheduled to hold its monthly discussion on the Palestinian issue on Tuesday. On Friday, Hamas released two hostages, Judith Raanan and her daughter, Natalie, of Chicago, for what the terrorist group described as “humanitarian reasons.” The pair were kidnapped from Kibbutz Nahal Oz during the October 7 invasion of the western Negev. Also last week, Hamas released a video showing Israeli captive Miya Shem. Shem was kidnapped while taking part in a music festival in the desert near Kibbutz Re’im, where Hamas gunmen murdered at least 260 festival-goers. Families of the captives have expressed anger at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s approval of humanitarian deliveries of water, food and medicine to Gaza through Egypt without receiving any concessions in return. Also among the murdered and missing are citizens from 41 countries.