Administration of U.S. President expects Hamas to release more American hostages
The White House National Security Council Coordinator John Kirby (photo: Getty Images)
The administration of U.S. President Joe Biden welcomes the extension of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas and hopes for the release of other American citizens from captivity, states White House National Security Council Coordinator John Kirby.
According to Kirby, the U.S. government and President Biden personally are engaged in the negotiation process for the release of individuals. Therefore, the American authorities will be closely watching whether American citizens will be released.
However, as of now, the White House has no information about the condition of Americans held by Hamas militants.
Hostage releases during a ceasefire
Israel signed an agreement with Hamas this week for a temporary ceasefire in the Gaza Strip in exchange for the release of hostages. The first exchange took place on November 24, with Hamas releasing 24 individuals, including 13 Israeli citizens and 11 foreigners. They were transported to Israeli hospitals where they will be reunited with their families.
On November 25, the Red Cross received the second group of hostages released by Hamas, consisting of 17 individuals, including 4 foreigners.
Additionally, on November 26, Hamas released another 17 hostages, including both Israelis and foreign nationals.
According to reports, as part of the hostage exchange deal with Hamas, Israel released 39 Palestinian minors from prisons.
Yesterday, the Biden administration confirmed that Israel and the Hamas militants agreed to extend the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip for an additional two days.
For more details on the agreements between Israel and Hamas and how long the ceasefire will last, you can read the article by RBC-Ukraine.
