Biden thanks Qatar and Israel for efforts to secure release of American hostages from Gaza
Jacob Magid is The Times of Israel's US bureau chief
The White House has issued a statement from US President Joe Biden on the release of the two American hostages released by Hamas earlier this evening.
“Today, we have secured the release of two Americans taken hostage by Hamas during the horrific terrorist assault against Israel on October 7,” Biden says.
“Our fellow citizens have endured a terrible ordeal these past 14 days, and I am overjoyed that they will soon be reunited with their family, who has been wracked with fear,” he says.
“These individuals and their family will have the full support of the United States government as they recover and heal, and we should all respect their privacy in this moment,” Biden says.
“From the earliest moments of this attack, we have been working around-the-clock to free American citizens who were taken hostage by Hamas, and we have not ceased our efforts to secure the release of those who are still being held.”
“I thank the government of Qatar and the government of Israel for their partnership in this work,” Biden adds.
“Jill and I have been holding close in our hearts all the families of unaccounted for Americans,” he continues. “And, as I told those families when I spoke with them last week, we will not stop until we get their loved ones home. As president, I have no higher priority than the safety of Americans held hostage around the world.”
