The US, along with 17 other countries whose citizens were abducted to Gaza on October 7, issued a joint call for Hamas to release all of the hostages and accept the deal proposed by the mediators.

"We call for the immediate release of all hostages held by Hamas and Gaza now for over 200 days. They include our citizens. The fate of the hostages and the civilian population in Gaza who are protected under international law is of international concern," the 17 countries stated.

"We emphasize that the deal on the table to release the hostages would bring an immediate and prolonged ceasefire in Gaza, that would facilitate a surge of additional necessary humanitarian assistance to be delivered throughout Gaza, and lead to the credible end of hostilities. Gazans would be able to return to their homes and their lands with preparations beforehand to ensure shelter and humanitarian provisions.

"We strongly support the ongoing mediation efforts in order to 'bring our people home'. We reiterate our call on Hamas to release the hostages, and let us end this crisis so that collectively we can focus our efforts on bringing peace and stability to the region," the statement concluded.

The statement was signed by the United States, Argentina, Austria, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Colombia, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Spain, Thailand and the United Kingdom.