© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks throughout a Hanukkah reception on the White Home in Washington, U.S., December 11, 2023. REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz/Pool/File Photograph
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Joe Biden deliberate to host members of the family of People held hostage by Hamas on Wednesday as Israel intensifies its army marketing campaign in Gaza after a pause in preventing throughout which greater than 100 hostages had been launched.
Family of all eight People who’re deemed unaccounted for after the Palestinian militant group’s lethal Oct. 7 assault on Israel had been anticipated to attend the gathering on the White Home, a senior Biden administration official mentioned.
Hamas gunmen took 240 folks hostage after they burst by way of the border with Israel and killed round 1,200 folks, in accordance with Israeli tallies.
A seven-day truce noticed greater than 100 hostages launched, together with 4 People. The remainder are nonetheless being held incommunicado as Israel bombards Gaza in an effort to destroy its Hamas rulers. Greater than 18,000 folks have been killed in Gaza, in accordance with native well being authorities.
Biden has been personally engaged on the hostage difficulty and has spoken quite a few instances with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the emir of Qatar on find out how to safe their launch, the administration official mentioned.
Biden beforehand held a digital assembly with hostages’ households on Oct. 13.
His nationwide safety adviser, Jake Sullivan, has met with the households quite a few instances, the official mentioned, and was anticipated to debate the hostages throughout his journey to Israel this week.
Two People, Natalie and Judith Raanan, turned the primary hostages to be launched on Oct. 20.
Throughout a subsequent pause in Israel’s army operation, a four-year-old American woman, Abigail Edan, was amongst 17 hostages freed by Hamas on Nov. 26. A fourth American, Liat Beinin, was launched on Nov. 29, amongst 16 launched on the ultimate day of a truce within the Gaza struggle.
Israel launched 240 Palestinian prisoners in change for the hostages beneath a truce settlement reached with Hamas.
