Biden Says US, Partners Haven’t Given Up on Release of Hostages Held by Hamas

President Joe Biden delivers remarks on the release of hostages from Gaza in Nantucket, Mass., on Nov. 26, 2023. Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images

The United States and its partners remain committed to securing the release of hostages abducted by the Hamas terror group during its surprise attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, President Joe Biden said on Jan. 14.

In a statement marking 100 days of captivity, President Biden said that his administration has been “working non-stop” to try to secure the release of the 130 hostages, including six Americans.

“On this terrible day, I again reaffirm my pledge to all the hostages and their families: we are with you. We will never stop working to bring Americans home,” he remarked.

President Biden said that his administration has pursued “aggressive diplomacy” in its efforts to bring the hostages home.

“In November, working in close coordination with Qatar, Egypt, and Israel, we brokered a seven-day pause in fighting that resulted in the release of 105 hostages—including a 4-year-old American child—and allowed us to surge additional vital humanitarian aid into Gaza,” he said.

“I was deeply engaged to secure, sustain, and extend that deal. Sadly, Hamas walked away after just one week. But the United States and our partners have not given up.”

Hamas terrorists captured 240 Israeli hostages during their Oct. 7, 2023, attack that killed 1,200 people, according to Israel. A temporary truce in November 2023 led to the release of more than 100 hostages, but 130 are still held in Gaza.

President Biden said that he would maintain close contact with his counterparts in Qatar, Egypt, and Israel to return all hostages home and back to their families.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken also traveled to the Middle East region last week “seeking a path forward for a deal to free all those still being held,” the president said.

Mr. Blinken said the United States won’t rest until the hostages are freed.

“It is impossible for any of us to understand what they have endured over those 100 days, but I have met with many of their families and delivered a clear message: The United States is with you and we will not rest until you are reunited with your loved ones,” he said in a statement on Jan. 14.

“We continue to work around the clock to secure the release of every hostage.”

Biden Urged to ‘Show Strength’

However, Florida Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) said he finds it “infuriating” that the U.S. president allowed “innocent Americans, Israelis and others to hit the 100-day mark as hostages in Gaza.”

Protesters lift placards during a rally for supporters and relatives of Israeli hostages held in Gaza since the Oct. 7, 2023, attack, in Tel Aviv, Israel, on Dec. 23, 2023. Alberto Pizzoli/AFP via Getty Images

Mr. Scott criticized President Biden’s “unprecedented weakness” and accused him of funneling American tax dollars to the Palestinian Authority, which he claimed was “paying terrorists and sending money to Gaza which only helps Hamas.”

“These innocent Americans and the others held hostage in Gaza should have been safely reunited with their families months ago,” the senator said in a statement.

“Biden needs to show strength NOW. These families have spent far too many days separated from their loved ones and today marks a somber milestone. Enough is enough.”

The families of hostages held in the Gaza Strip kicked off a 24-hour rally in Tel Aviv on the evening of Jan. 13, calling on the Israeli government to bring their loved ones home after 100 days spent in Hamas captivity.

Israel said on Jan. 13 that it had brokered a deal with mediator Qatar to deliver badly needed medicines to the hostages with the help of the International Committee of the Red Cross. There was no immediate sign that the deal was being implemented.

There is international pressure for a ceasefire as the Israeli military carries out its security objective of neutralizing Hamas.

The Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry has said that nearly 24,000 Palestinians have died amid Israeli strikes.

Caden Pearson and The Associated Press contributed to this report.