Former hostage Sir Terry Waite has blasted international “failures”, attributing them to the conflict playing out between Israel-Hamas.
The humanitarian spent almost five years in captivity after being kidnapped by Islamic terrorists in Lebanon.
Speaking on GB News, he said authorities will be doing “all they can” to ensure the safety of hostages in Gaza, with 199 taken by Hamas terrorists into the enclave, according to the Israeli military.
Among them are up to 10 Britons, Foreign Secretary James Cleverly has claimed.
Sir Terry Waite has called for the return of Israeli hostages
PA / GB NEWS
Waite told Mark Longhurst and Pip Tomson that the international community must shoulder criticism for the ongoing conflict in the region.
“This is such a tragedy, the main sufferers are innocent men, women and children”, he said.
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“One has particular concern for those who have been held hostage. This situation ought to have been foreseen.
“I think there has been a lamentable failure by the international community to be impartial on this matter and seek a resolution to this problem.
“It’s extraordinarily difficult, I have been involved in the Middle East for years. I am not putting blame on people here, but what I am saying is, there has been a failure from the international community to really take hold of this situation and be impartial.
“They have played into the hands of Hamas, the Palestinians have backed Hamas out of sheer desperation and constantly they see their territory taken away, now we have the situation where the innocent on both sides suffer abysmally.
Smoke rises following Israeli strikes in GazaReuters“It makes me very angry.”
On Monday morning, the Israeli military spokesperson, Daniel Hagari, said Hamas forces had abducted 199 Israelis and were holding them in Gaza.
The UK has said 10 of its nationals are missing, although some of those missing were feared dead.
Sir Terry offered a message of hope for hostages, but admitted it will be a “difficult task” to salvage them.
“The hostages have to maintain hope, keep hope alive, that’s all they can do”, he said.
“You have no idea what is happening in the outside world. Every time someone came into my cell they could have been coming to kill me.
“I would say that everything will be done that is possible to release them, let’s hope it can be done without further bloodshed.”
Hamas has claimed that 22 Israeli hostages have been killed in airstrikes since the war began 10 days ago, warning more will be killed in response to further Israeli strikes.
On Friday, ‘localised raids’ saw Israeli troops reporting they had retrieved an unspecified number of bodies of hostages.
