Prime Minister Marape Calls on Hamas to Release All Hostages; Offers PNG’s Support for Mediation Toward Lasting Peace

Prime Minister Hon. James Marape today urged Hamas to release all hostages— including the remains of those who have died in captivity— as an essential first step to halting the conflict and opening the way to credible political negotiations. He reaffirmed Papua New Guinea’s friendship with Israel and offered PNG’s support to help mediate a durable peace.

Prime Minister Marape commended Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for his public statement indicating Israel would stop its attacks if all hostages are released. “You cannot get any clearer than this,” Prime Minister Marape said, adding that once hostages are released, friends of Israel, including Papua New Guinea, stand ready to help facilitate dialogue toward long-term solutions.

The Prime Minister emphasised that peace must be “born from within,” drawing a parallel to Papua New Guinea’s own experience of laying down arms, sitting together, and forging political solutions through dialogue. He called for all sides to engage “not at the back of gun firing, but at the table of peace.”

“If Hamas is genuinely concerned for its people, the way to stop the suffering is clear: release the hostages. This will create the conditions to pause the fighting and allow mediation to chart a political pathway forward,” Prime Minister Marape said.

He confirmed that he briefly met Prime Minister Netanyahu following the latter’s UN address and signalled PNG’s willingness— alongside other friends of Israel— to assist in convening and supporting mediated talks.

Prime Minister Marape also highlighted Papua New Guinea’s example of coexistence in extreme diversity, noting the country’s 1,000 tribes and 850-plus languages living under one constitution that protects rights, including freedom of religion. “We are showing the world it can be done,” he said. “Despite our challenges, we strive to coexist— and that spirit should inform efforts to build a just and lasting peace in the Middle East.”

Key Points

•          PNG urges Hamas to release all hostages— including remains— as the immediate catalyst to stop the fighting.

•           PNG commends Israel’s stated readiness to halt attacks contingent on the release and stands prepared to assist mediation.

•          Peace must be internally generated and pursued at the negotiating table, not through violence.

•          PNG offers its national experience of unity-in-diversity as proof that coexistence is achievable.

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