President Herzog and his Serbian counterpart
President Herzog and his Serbian counterpartHaim Zach/GPO

President Isaac Herzog began his official visit to Serbia this morning by meeting President Aleksandar Vučić in Belgrade.

President Herzog was accompanied on his visit by Idit Ohel, an Israeli of Serbian origin, whose son Alon was taken hostage on October 7th by Hamas as he sought to escape the Nova Festival. Alon remains held captive in Gaza.

On his arrival, President Herzog was received by Serbia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Marko Đurić, a relation of Alon Ohel who is being held hostage by Hamas.

After meeting with President Vučić, President Herzog said: "Thank you very much my good friend President Vučić for your kind hospitality. You mentioned so graciously and emotionally the plight of 101 Israeli hostages - hostages who are from various nationalities. One of them is Alon Ohel, a young Israeli of Serbian origin, who is a musician, an incredible kid, who was there at the music festival. His mother is here, Idit, with a picture of her son. The world must remember and know that the plight and the return of the hostages should be the utmost objective of the international community."