From the Liveblog of
Friday, October 13, 2023
Biden to speak today with families of some of the American hostages in Gaza
Jacob Magid is The Times of Israel's US bureau chief
US President Joe Biden is slated to speak later today with the families of some of the Americans believed to be held hostage by terrorists in the Gaza Strip.
Asked why he felt it was important to take this step, Biden tells CBS’s 60 Minutes: “I think they have to know that the president of the United States of America cares deeply about them, deeply. We have to communicate to the world this is critical. This is not even human behavior. It’s pure barbarism, and we’re going to do everything in our power to get them home — if we can find them.”
The full interview will air on Sunday.
“We’re doing everything we can to secure the release of the hostages working closely with our Israeli partners,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said during his trip to Israel on Thursday, adding that the State Department’s deputy special representative for hostage affairs Steve Gillen was traveling with him.
The Times of Israel Community.