Rivlin set to arrive at UN, demand return of Gaza captives as condition for reconstruction

Jacob Magid is The Times of Israel's US bureau chief

NEW YORK — President Reuven Rivlin will arrive at the UN shortly to meet with Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

Rivlin is expected to raise the Israeli demand to condition UN-coordinated Gaza reconstruction efforts on the return of the bodies of fallen IDF soldiers Hadar Goldin and Oron Shaul, who have been held captive by Hamas, along with civilians Avera Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed.

Rivlin will later meet with nearly two dozen ambassadors representing the US, Russia, China, the UK, Canada, the Netherlands, Kenya, Rwanda, Ghana, Austria, Albania, Hungary, Malta, Greece, Cyprus, Morocco, Bahrain, Honduras, Guatemala, Mexico, Bhutan, Australia and Bulgaria.

He is expected to reiterate Israel’s interest in expanding the Abraham Accords, which normalized the Jewish state’s relations with several Arab countries.

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