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1 year ago
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No Americans are expected to be among the hostages released by Hamas in today's delayed release, a government official has confirmed.
The White House says it remains 'hopeful' that American citizens will be included in the hostage releases over the coming days, but that they were not listed on the second round meant to take part on Saturday.
'The President secured the release of two American citizens as the pilot to this larger release of hostages' a White House official said on Saturday.
'We are early in the process that will see at least 50 women and children released during the first phase of the agreement.
'We are hopeful that will include three dual national women and children, who are American citizens. This will unfold over the coming days. We will not comment on individual cases as the process is underway' they added.
President Joe Biden on Friday credited 'extensive U.S. diplomacy' for getting hostages released from Hamas but said it's 'only a start' as no U.S. citizens have yet to be released
Aviv Asher, 2.5 years old, her sister Raz Asher, 4.5 years old, and mother Doron, react as they step off an Israeli military helicopter, shortly after their arrival in Israel on November 24
Biden told reporters on Friday afternoon that the US did not know when the American citizens being held hostage would be released but said it was his 'hope and expectation it'll be soon.'
Biden credited 'extensive U.S. diplomacy' for getting hostages released from Hamas but said it's 'only a start' as no U.S. citizens have yet to be released.
Abigail Mor Edan lost both of her parents in Hamas' bloody October 7 attack on Israel and is believed to be the youngest U.S. citizen in the terror group's hands. She turns four-years-old today
He told reporters that he wasn't sure when the first U.S. citizens would leave Gaza, as two U.S. women and four-year-old Abigail Mor Edan are thought to be among the hostages who were kidnapped during Hamas' brutal October 7 terror attack on Israel.
Earlier Friday Biden was briefed multiple times by his national security team on the latest developments regarding the hostage release from Gaza, the White House said.
'This morning I've been engaged with my team as we begin the first difficult days of implementing this deal,' Biden said.
'It's only a start but so far it's gone well.'
So far, 25 people have been freed since hundreds were kidnapped and taken into the territory by the terror group.
The president noted how that group of hostages included 'an elderly woman, a grandmother and mothers with their young children, some under the age of six years old.'
However, Hamas's armed wing has said the second round of Israeli hostage releases will be delayed due to a dispute over aid.
The hostages will not be released until Israel agrees to allow aid trucks into northern Gaza, the group said on Saturday.
Egypt and Qatar are reportedly trying to resolve the delay in the second round of Israeli hostage releases from Gaza.
The armed wing of Hamas said on Saturday it was delaying the handover of a second group of hostages until Israel 'adheres to the terms of the agreement'.
Bunyarin Srijan, the mother of a Thai hostage released as part of a hostages-prisoners swap deal between Hamas and Israel, holds her phone showing an image of her daughter, Natthawaree Mulkan, during an interview at her home in Khon Kaen, Thailand November 25
Released Israeli child hostages are held by Israeli soldiers shortly after their arrival in Israel on November 24
The entry of humanitarian aid to the north of the Gaza Strip and the selection criteria for the liberation of prisoners were the issues in question, the Ezzedine al-Qassam brigades said in a statement.
An Israeli official confirmed to AFP the hostages had not yet been handed over to the Red Cross in the Gaza Strip.
Hamas' al-Qassam Brigades said the hostage releases would be delayed if Israel did not adhere to the agreed terms for the release of Palestinian prisoners.
There was no immediate Israeli response to the statement. Earlier an Israeli military spokesperson had told France's BFM television station that, barring last minute changes, 13 Israeli hostages were expected to be freed.
He said 39 Palestinian prisoners would be released in return.
Under the truce deal between Israel and Hamas, mediated by Qatar, a total of 50 hostages are to be exchanged for 150 Palestinian prisoners, some of them convicted on weapon charges and violent offences, over four days.
In the first exchange on Friday, 13 Israeli women and children - out of around 240 hostages captured by Hamas fighters on a killing spree in southern Israel on Oct. 7 - were released. Twenty-four jailed Palestinian women and 15 teenagers were released from Israeli jails.
Saturday's setback came just hours after Egypt, which controls the Rafah border crossing into southern Gaza through which vital aid supplies have resumed, said it had received 'positive signals' from all parties over a possible extension of that deal.
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