US President Joe Biden met on Wednesday with the families of Americans who have been held hostage by Hamas since October 7, 2023.
In a statement following the meeting, the White House said that the President “provided an update on US efforts to secure the release of all hostages, and reaffirmed the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to getting the hostages home to their loved ones and families.”
“The Administration has worked tirelessly to get a deal done as soon as possible to bring the hostages home, and the President also assured the families those efforts will continue,” the statement added.
On Tuesday, the families of the American hostages in Gaza met with US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan to discuss the Biden administration's efforts to secure the release of the remaining 101 hostages, including seven Americans, in their remaining days in office.
During the meeting, the families expressed their gratitude for the administration’s support since the October 7 attacks. They also urged the Biden administration to work with President-elect Trump and his transition team to commit all available time and resources to finalize a hostage deal that brings all hostages home before President Biden's term ends.
Also on Tuesday, State Department spokesman Vedant Patel told reporters that the Biden administration continues to pursue efforts to reach a Gaza ceasefire deal, despite key mediator Qatar suspending its involvement.
"We're continuing to pursue a number of initiatives to secure the release of hostages. That work is ongoing. We have not given up hope," said Patel.
"It's critical to us to get a deal done as soon as possible, especially so that we can bring the remaining hostages home to their families," he added.
The diplomatic effort to achieve a hostage release deal faced a setback on the weekend when Qatar announced it would pause its mediation role until both parties demonstrate greater commitment.
Qatar said Saturday that the energy-rich emirate would suspend its mediation until both Israel and Hamas "show their willingness and determination."
Qatar, along with Egypt and the US, has mediated recent efforts to achieve a ceasefire and hostage release deal.
The United States had been pushing an outline for a ceasefire and hostage release deal that President Joe Biden first laid out in May, but Hamas rejected that proposal and every other proposal that has been presented to it.
Sullivan made clear on Sunday, during an appearance on CBS News' Face the Nation, that Hamas was at fault for the failure of the negotiations and not Israel.