After the release of 13 hostages in Israel by Hamas militants, US President Joe Biden has vowed unwavering commitment to ensuring the return of every hostage to their loved ones.
Washinton DC: Amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas militants, United States President Joe Biden has pledged to ensure the safe return of every hostage to their loved ones. Notably, Biden made this commitment following the release of 13 hostages in Israel. While addressing a press conference in Washington, D.C., Biden also highlighted that the release of the 13 hostages, including an American citizen, was a result of extensive and thorough U.S. diplomacy. ‘We will not stop working until every hostage is returned to their loved ones. This has been the product of a lot of hard work and weeks of personal engagement for me and my team,’ he said.
Notably, the hostages were released under a fragile four-day ceasefire and hostage release agreement between Israel and Hamas which is going to end today, November 27. So far two have occurred in which Hamas has released 41 hostages and Israel has freed 78 Palestinian prisoners. There are chance of a third swap before the deadline.
President Biden further underlined that he is in constant touch with other West Asia countries regarding the matter, adding that the First Lady and ‘many Americans are praying’ that the 4-year-old Israeli-American Avigail Idan will be all right after she was released earlier on Sunday.
“We have been in close contact with the leaders of Qatar, Egypt, and Israel, speaking with each one of them repeatedly over the past few weeks,” he added.
The 4-year-old saw her mother killed in front of her on October 7 in Kibbutz Be’eri when the Hamas militants infiltrated the country and started killing innocent civilians. The girl saw the militants shooting her mother. She ran to her father who shielded her with his body while shot him dead.
She then ran to her neighbour’s home, where she, along with those inside, was taken hostage in Gaza.
“What she endured is unthinkable,” Biden emphasised, noting that she celebrated her 4th birthday on Friday in captivity and that he had personally pressed for her release in a recent call with the emir of Qatar.
During the press conference the US president expressed hope that the agreement between Israel and Hamas will be extended so more hostages can be released.
“Israel has agreed to extend the four-day truce by an additional day for every extra 10 Israeli hostages released,” he added.
Additionally, President Biden mentioned that he has been advocating for a pause for weeks to facilitate the safe release of hostages from Gaza and to increase the flow of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip. He reported that approximately 200 trucks of aid have entered Gaza during the last three days of the truce.
“Innocent children in Gaza are suffering greatly as well because of this war that Hamas has unleashed,” leading to the deaths of thousands of civilians, Biden noted.
“I get a sense that all the players in the region… are looking for a way to end this so the hostages are all released and (that) Hamas is…no longer in control any portion of Gaza,” Biden said.
Following the release of the hostages, hundreds of Israelis were observed cheering in Ofakim as the convoy proceeded to Hatzerim Airbase near Beersheba, as reported by The Times of Israel. The Israel Defence Forces noted that the Red Cross delivered 13 hostages near the border fence in northern Gaza. One of them was airlifted to a hospital, while the remaining 12 were transported in a convoy to the Hatzerim airbase.