WASHINGTON President Joe Biden on Wednesday held his first in-person assembly with the households of among the eight People nonetheless unaccounted for and presumed taken captive by Hamas throughout its lethal Oct. 7 assault on Israel, the White Home stated.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken and principal deputy nationwide safety adviser Jon Finer joined Biden for the assembly. 13 of the members of the family attended the assembly in individual, whereas three others joined the dialog with the president and his advisers by cellphone, based on the White Home.
The Democratic president has beforehand met with some members of the family nearly and spoken to others on the cellphone. Biden was set to supply an replace on American efforts to safe the discharge of these held by Hamas.
He’ll assure them that we’re not going to lose sight of their family members, we’re not going to cease making an attempt to get them house, Nationwide Safety Council spokesman John Kirby stated on CNN as he previewed Biden’s message to the households. Kirby pressured that U.S. officers are attempting to get extra details about them and to get a deal in place the place we will get them again house.
Bidens assembly with the households of hostages got here as his nationwide safety adviser, Jake Sullivan, was to move to Israel on Thursday to fulfill with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, members of his battle cupboard, and Israeli President Isaac Herzog.
The eight People stay unaccounted for after Hamas shock air, sea and land incursion into Israeli cities, the place the group killed about 1,200 Israelis, largely civilians, and took greater than 240 individuals hostage. The White Home has stated that at the least 31 People had been killed by Hamas and different militant teams on Oct. 7.
4 People had been launched as a part of a U.S.-negotiated cease-fire in Israels battle in opposition to Hamas in Gaza that was brokered with the help of Qatar and Egypt.
One American girl was imagined to be launched by Hamas beneath the phrases of final months cease-fire, however she stays unaccounted for a growth that contributed to the top of the short-term pause within the preventing.
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