The leaders of the United States, Britain, France and more than a dozen other countries have called for Hamas to release the scores of hostages it is holding in a joint statement, AFP reports.

“We call for the immediate release of all hostages held by Hamas in Gaza for over 200 days. They include our own citizens,” the leaders said.

“We emphasise 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,” they said.

“We strongly support the ongoing mediation efforts in order to bring our people home.”