Bulgaria's Foreign Minister: Two peope of Bulgarian descent are held hostages in Gaza (update)

Hamas is holding two hostages of Bulgarian descent, Foreign Minister Mariya Gabriel told a press conference after she and Prime Minister Nikolai Denkov returned from their visit to Israel.

"We met with the hostages' families and it became clear that there are two hostages of Bulgarian descent. This is the information that we can share. In coordination with the State of Israel and with the parties involved in the negotiations, we continue to do what is necessary for the release of the hostages."

As soon as there is sufficient information and it does not jeopardize the release of the captives, more details will be given, the foreign minister clarified.

Efforts continue to avoid a regional escalation of the conflict. The international community, together with Israel, is seeking a solution to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

"Bulgaria was among the first countries to evacuate its nationals that were short-term residents in Gaza. We have received special thanks from the Israeli Foreign Ministry for their cooperation and coordination," Mariya Gabriel added.

Bulgaria’s PM, Nikolai Denkov, in Jerusalem: We are here to express strong support for Israel (update)

Bulgaria will continue to help both countries, but firmly expresses its full support to the State of Israel that it has all the rights to protect its citizens from terrorist attacks, Nikolai Denkov said.

"30 days ago Israel was attacked in a cruel way. The atrocities that were committed are unspeakable, some of which we were reminded of again today. On the other hand, Hamas terrorists should not be mixed with the Palestinian population, in which civilians also have their rights. One of the objectives of the meeting today was to make sure that the Israeli government takes all measures to make clear distinction between the terrorists and the civilian population, and we received that as an assurance," the Prime Minister said.