President Joe Biden speaks a Hanukkah reception in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Monday, Dec. 11, 2023. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, Pool)
President Joe Biden speaks a Hanukkah reception in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Monday, Dec. 11, 2023. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, Pool)
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Wednesday will hold his first in-person meeting with the families of Americans taken hostage by Hamas during its brutal attack on Israel on Oct. 7, two White House officials said.
It was not immediately clear how many families would be attending the White House meeting in person, or via videoconference. Biden has previously met with some family members virtually and spoken to others on the phone, officials said. The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss Biden's schedule.
“We’re not going to stop until every hostage is returned home," Biden told donors in Washington on Tuesday, saying the U.S. commitment to Israel is “unshakable.â€
Seven Americans remain unaccounted for after Hamas' surprise air, sea and land incursion into Israeli towns, where the group killed about 1,200 Israelis — mostly civilians — and took more than 240 people hostage. Four Americans were released as part of a U.S.-negotiated that was brokered with the assistance of Qatar and Egypt. The White House has said that at least 31 Americans were killed by Hamas and other militant groups on Oct. 7.
