Milei 'eagerly' awaiting release of Israeli-Argentine hostages

Argentina's President Javier Milei said on Thursday that he hopes US president-elect Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are "successful" in securing the release of hostages held by Hamas.

"We eagerly await the success of US president-elect Donald Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu in the process of liberating the 98 people abducted by the terrorist group Hamas, among whom are nine Argentines," Milei posted on his X account.

Milei's message comes after Israel and Hamas agreed a ceasefire mediated by Qatar and the United States on Wednesday, which is set to take effect on Sunday.

The ceasefire in the Gaza Strip also involves the exchange of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners in various phases over the coming months.

"From Argentina, we will do everything within our power to recover our compatriots and put an end to this scourge," said Milei, referring to the detained citizens with dual Argentine-Israeli nationality.

The war began with the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel, which resulted in the deaths of 1,210 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of official Israeli figures.

Of the 251 people taken hostage, 94 are still in Gaza, including 34 the Israeli military says are dead.

A total of 21 of them were also Argentines citizens, according to data compiled by the Delegación de Asociaciones Israelitas Argentinas (DAIA) (Delegation of Argentine Jewish Associations) last year on the first anniversary of the attack.

– TIMES/AFP