Hostages who were abducted by Hamas gunmen during the October 7 attack on Israel, are handed over by Hamas militants to members of the International Committee of the Red Cross, as part of a hostages-prisoners swap deal between Hamas and Israel amid a temporary truce, in an unknown location in the Gaza Strip, in this screengrab taken from video released.
Credit: Hamas Military Wing/Handout via Reuters
The Biden administration welcomed the Qatari announcement of an additional two-day pause in fighting between Israel and Hamas and will continue pushing for the extension of the truce until all hostages are released, a White House official said Monday.
John F Kirby, a spokesperson for the National Security Council, said that the US believed there were fewer than 10 American hostages still unaccounted for, but that it was unknown whether some were being held by Hamas or another terrorist group.
Kirby said that the administration hoped that Americans would be part of a group of 20 women and children expected to be released over the next two days under the extended deal announced Monday by Qatari officials.
The same Qatari officials helped negotiate the initial cease-fire deal, which has led to the release of dozens of hostages.
President Joe Biden has been integral to brokering the deal, Kirby said, adding that the US would continue to push for further extensions. "We're going to keep working for an extension," Kirby said. "Absolutely, that's what we want. We want to see all the hostages out and this is the best way to get them out."
As part of the US efforts, Secretary of State Antony Blinken will return to the Middle East this week, stopping in Israel and the West Bank before attending the COP28 climate summit in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, a senior State Department official said. Blinken will stress the importance of continued humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip, the release of all hostages held by Hamas, and the protection of civilians in the Palestinian territory, the official said.
In Washington, Kirby maintained the administration's position that the pause in fighting could also benefit Hamas, saying it was a "real risk." But he said that the pause had resulted not only in a halt in fighting but also a "surge" in humanitarian assistance to Gaza, including the largest shipment since Hamas' terrorist attack October 7.
"Our team has prioritized getting this much-needed relief into Gaza to alleviate the suffering of Palestinians," Kirby said, adding that "most of them have nothing to do with Hamas."