President Biden announced on Monday that he would be open to discussions regarding a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas on the condition that the hostages held by the militant group are released.
In response to a reporter’s inquiry about whether the U.S. would support a potential cease-fire in exchange for hostages, Biden stated, “We should have those hostages released, and then we can talk.”
During the attack by Hamas on October 7, more than 200 hostages were taken, including a group of Americans.
Last week, two Americans were released in a deal facilitated by Qatar, and on Monday, two more hostages were reportedly released, according to The Associated Press, citing the International Committee of the Red Cross.
National security spokesperson John Kirby confirmed on Monday that some Americans are still being held as hostages, with over 10 Americans remaining unaccounted for.
The White House has not directly addressed whether it was requesting Israel to delay its anticipated ground invasion, as reports have suggested they may be doing so in the hopes of securing the release of more hostages.
Biden’s remarks came after he concluded comments on new regional tech hubs and handed the event over to Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, mentioning that he had to address “another issue” in the Situation Room.
Additionally, Biden mentioned a recent call he had with Pope Francis, noting that they are in agreement regarding the latest developments in Israel and Gaza.
He stated that the Pope expressed interest in how the U.S. is dealing with the crises in the region and was supportive of the assistance provided to Israel.
“He was very, very interested in what we were doing to deal with some of the crises we’re facing, particularly in Israel this time around. And I laid out to him what the game plan was, how we thought we should be providing the kind of assistance to Israel they needed,” Biden said. “And, the Pope was across-the-board supportive of what we’re doing.”
The conflict has seen Israeli forces conducting airstrikes in response to attacks by Hamas, resulting in casualties on both sides.
The humanitarian situation has deteriorated in Gaza due to various factors, including the cutoff of essential supplies such as food, water, electricity, and medicine.
