Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Đurić appeals for the release of Alon Ohel

"Today marks 493 days since Alon Ohel, an Israeli and Serbian citizen whose family has roots in Serbia, has been imprisoned at the bottom of a tunnel in Gaza, held captive and bound in chains. We call, appeal, and plead for Alon to be released without delay and allowed to return to his mother, father, brothers, and sisters," Đurić stated.

The minister reminded that at the time of his capture, Alon was not a member of the armed forces but a young pianist who was attending a music festival with his peers and friends.

"Two weeks later, he was supposed to visit his family in Serbia. Unfortunately, he never made it there. For 493 days, he has not seen the sun or his loved ones. Those who were imprisoned with him have been reduced, physically, to a shadow of what they were before captivity, and they share harrowing accounts of the conditions in which they have been held for over a year," Đurić said.

According to Đurić, today would have been Alon's 24th birthday in freedom, but instead, he is spending it in chains, without food and medical care, despite being seriously wounded in captivity.

"I appeal to all those who can help, to those who are holding Alon, and to the entire international community to do everything possible to ensure this young man is released, reunited with his family, and that international humanitarian law—indeed, our shared humanity—prevails in this case. Serbia stands with Alon, with the families of the abducted, and with all those who have suffered in this tragic conflict, and we pray for their freedom," Minister of Foreign Affairs Marko Đurić concluded.