President Joe Biden met Wednesday with the families of Americans held hostage by Hamas since October 7, 2023. In a statement released after the meeting, the White House said the president “provided an update on American efforts to obtain the release of all hostages, and reaffirmed the Biden-Harris administration’s commitment to returning the hostages to their loved ones.
The day before, the families of the American hostages in Gaza met with national security adviser Jake Sullivan to discuss the Biden administration’s efforts to secure the release of the remaining 101 hostages, including seven Americans, during their final days in office.
The families expressed gratitude for the administration’s support since the October 7 attacks. They also urged the Biden administration to work with President-elect Trump and his transition team to devote all available resources to finalizing a deal before the end of Biden’s term.
State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel said Tuesday that the Biden administration is continuing its efforts to reach a ceasefire agreement in Gaza, despite suspending Qatar’s involvement. “We continue to pursue several initiatives to obtain the release of the hostages. This work is ongoing. We have not lost hope,” he said.
The diplomatic effort suffered a setback last weekend when Qatar announced it would suspend its mediating role until “both parties demonstrate their will and determination.” Qatar, alongside Egypt and the United States, had mediated recent attempts to agree a ceasefire and release hostages.
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