Israeli President Isaac Herzog is due to attend the UN climate talks in the United Arab Emirates today where he will hold talks with diplomats on the release of hostages held by Hamas, AFP reports.

At COP28, which will also be attended by Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas, Herzog will hold a “series of diplomatic meetings on the importance of releasing the hostages held by Hamas”, the Israeli presidency said in a statement.

He “intends to engage world leaders in a high-level humanitarian effort to return the hostages”, the statement said.

More than 140 heads of state and government are due to address COP28 on Friday and Saturday, including Herzog and Abbas who are both scheduled to make speeches lasting three minutes on Friday.

 Workers arrange national flags of participating countries at the venue of the COP28 UN climate summit in Dubai on Nov 30, 2023. — AFP
Workers arrange national flags of participating countries at the venue of the COP28 UN climate summit in Dubai on Nov 30, 2023. — AFP

Opinion

Editorial

AJK elections
29 Jul, 2026

AJK elections

CONSIDERING the political unrest that has rocked Azad Jammu and Kashmir in the recent past, free and fair general...
Still vulnerable
29 Jul, 2026

Still vulnerable

THE State Bank’s decision to hold the policy rate at 11.5pc is a prudent response to the heightened risks the...
Guarding the past
29 Jul, 2026

Guarding the past

THE return of 513 smuggled archaeological artefacts from the US is a welcome homecoming for objects that should ...
Lull in fighting
Updated 28 Jul, 2026

Lull in fighting

AFTER two weeks of escalating violence, the US has halted its strikes on Iran, with Tehran also silencing it guns....
Water policy
28 Jul, 2026

Water policy

THE country is caught in a crisis where there too much water at the wrong time and too little when it is most ...
Ending hepatitis
28 Jul, 2026

Ending hepatitis

WORLD Hepatitis Day is being observed under the theme ‘Hepatitis: Let’s break it down’, a call to remove the...