‘I wish I was there to hold her’: Biden celebrates the release of four-year-old Israeli-American hostage Abigail Mor Edan and vows to ‘not stop working’ until all being held are returned home

President Joe Biden hailed the release of four-year-old Israeli-American Abigail Mor Edan, who was among the hostages released by Hamas on Sunday.

The president gave an impromptu speech about Edan’s release from the White Elephant Hotel on Nantucket as he wrapped up his six-day Thanksgiving family vacation on the island.

Biden noted how Edan turned four on Friday and spent her birthday in captivity after Hamas terrorists killed her parents in front of her eyes during the Oct. 7 terror attack on Israel.

‘Thank God she’s home. I just can’t imagine the fun,” the president said, chuckling with delight. “I wish I was there to hold her.”

Biden said he “hoped” other American hostages would be released in the coming days, “but I don’t have anything to tell you for certain at this time.”

The president gave an impromptu speech about Edan’s release from the White Elephant Hotel on Nantucket

Abigail Mor Edan turned four years old on Friday while being held hostage by Hamas. She was released on Sunday

He promised to persevere.

“We will not stop working until all hostages are returned to their loved ones,” Biden said.

The president said he did not know Edan’s condition and had not seen any photos of the little girl since her release after spending more than 50 days in the hands of Hamas terrorists.

“Today she is free and Jill and I, along with so many Americans, are praying that she is doing well,” Biden said. “You know, she’s free and she’s in Israel now.”

He noted that she would need a lot of support after this “terrible trauma,” and acknowledged those who are “now wrapping Abigail in love and care.”

“You know her mother was murdered in front of her eyes when her kibbutz was attacked by Hamas terrorists on October 7,” Biden said. “Abigail then ran to her father, who was then shot, also shot, using his body to protect little Abigail.”

‘She then ran to a neighbor for help, where they were all taken hostage. That entire neighbor’s house was taken hostage by Hamas and held for 50 days,” the president continued. ‘What she had to endure was unthinkable.’

Biden called Edan’s release “a lot of hard work and weeks of personal involvement from me and my team” as they stayed in close contact with the leaders of Israel, Egypt and Qatar.

The president especially thanked Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani for keeping the hostages’ release on track after it suffered a hiccup on Saturday.

“For weeks I have been advocating for a pause in the fighting for two reasons: to increase assistance entering Gaza civilians who need help, and to facilitate the release of hostages,” Biden said.

“We know that innocent children in Gaza are also suffering immensely because this war that Hamas has unleashed is having such consequences,” Biden added.

He later told reporters he would support the pause “as long as prisoners continue to come out.”