Families of hostages held by Hamas beg world leaders for help: "Do your work"
NEW YORK -- United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres appealed for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire at the U.N. Security Council on Tuesday.
Outside the U.N., there was an emotional rally with family members of those being held hostage by Hamas and their supporters.
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Families of hostages held by Hamas walked one by one up to the podium in front of the United Nations, pleading to world leaders meeting behind them to rescue their children.
"We have not heard anything from anybody. Do your work. Give us sign of life. Give a sign of hope. We're waiting for that. We're not getting anything, I'm sorry," said Orna Neutra, the mother of a hostage.
For the parents of Long Island native Omer Neutra, it's been 17 days of torture, waiting for news.
"He was protecting the villages on the border on the morning when this happened, and they were attacked and taken," Orna Neutra said. "We're not satisfied knowing that it's been 17 days and nothing's been moving. That's what we're not satisfied with."
Israeli officials estimate more than 200 hostages are still being held by Hamas. Only four have been released so far.
"I just want to get them home. That's all I think about," said Alana Zeitchik, whose cousins are being held hostage.
If their words weren't powerful enough, in the plaza across the street, Israeli supporters created an unavoidable display of the horrors of war, printing the names and photos of missing hostages, setting shoes next to each poster, hoping it makes an impression.
"It's a way for us to make this huge number something that the eye can understand. These are little shoes of 4-years-old girls that danced and walked in the Kibbutz and now are held hostages in Gaza," Morningside Heights resident Shany Granot-Lubaton said. "We just want people to understand how real it is for us. These are our family. These are our friends. This is how it looks like. These are real people."
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Israel says it has launched 400 airstrikes on Hamas in Gaza over the past day.
At Tuesday's U.N. Security Council meeting, United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken called for universal condemnation of Hamas' terrorism and the immediate release of hostages.
"I implore every member here, use your voice, use your influence, use your leverage to secure their unconditional and immediate release," Blinken said.
Guterres called for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire to deliver desperately needed food, water, medicine and fuel.
"I am deeply concerned about the clear violations of international humanitarian law that we are witnessing in Gaza. Let me be clear: no party to an armed conflict is above international humanitarian law," he said.
According to aid organization Save the Children, more than 2,000 Palestinian children have been killed since the conflict began and another 1 million are currently trapped in Gaza with no safe place to go.
Israel has vowed to destroy the terror group Hamas in a looming ground invasion.
