Families of American hostages held in Gaza meet top US official

Relatives of the seven American hostages still held in Gaza met yesterday with US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan in Washington for the 13th time since October 7.

“The families shared a number of ideas with Sullivan to help bring the hostage crisis to an end and also discussed intensifying efforts with Egypt, Qatar, Turkey, and other regional powers to press Hamas and Israel to reach an agreement,” according to a statement issued by the families.

“The families expressed frustration with the lack of tangible progress and stressed that everyone needs to play a larger role in reaching an agreement that ensures the hostages’ safe return,” the statement adds.

“Sullivan stressed the administration’s unwavering commitment to bringing the Americans home and reiterated that resolving this crisis is a top priority for President Biden,” the readout says.