Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, said a united effort from the international community can prevent the conflict from spiralling in the Middle East.
Minister Szijjártó told an informal session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York that it should not be forgotten that the current conflict began with a “really brutal terrorist attack” a month and a half ago, adding that the countries in the region could return to the hopeful path towards peace carved by the Abraham Accords. Preventing a repeat of “such a heinous attack” was in the interest of not just Israel, but the entire world, he said, adding successful actions against terrorism were also a global interest. Minister Szijjártó said the Hungarian citizens who had been stuck in Gaza and wanted to leave had been successfully evacuated. He expressed thanks to his Egyptian and Israeli counterparts without whom, he said, “it would not have been possible to evacuate those 14 Hungarian citizens who wanted to leave the Gaza Strip”. He also called for the immediate and unconditional release of the five Hungarian citizens held hostage by Hamas. For this reason, he said, Hungary could only accept resolutions, decisions and statements that called for the immediate release of those being held captive.