WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden will hold his first in-person meeting Wednesday with the families of Americans taken hostage by Hamas during the brutal attack on Israel on Oct. 7, two White House officials said.
It was not immediately clear how many families would attend the White House meeting in person or via video conference. Biden previously met with some family members virtually and spoke with others on the phone, officials said. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss Biden's schedule.
“We are not going to stop until every hostage has returned home,” Biden told donors in Washington on Friday, saying America's commitment to Israel is “unwavering.”
Seven Americans remain missing after Hamas's surprise air, sea and land incursion into Israeli cities, where the group killed about 1,200 Israelis — mostly civilians — and took more than 240 people hostage. Four Americans were released as part of a US-negotiated ceasefire in Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza, which was brokered with the help of Qatar and Egypt. The White House has said that at least 31 Americans were killed by Hamas and other militant groups on October 7.
NBC News was the first to report on the meeting.