- The White House said Friday that there were no American citizens in the first group of hostages released by Hamas
- President Joe Biden said he hoped Israeli-American child Abigail Mor Edan would be among the first to get out
- Edan, whose parents were killed in the October 7 massacre, turns four on Friday
The White House said Friday that there were no American citizens in the first group of hostages released by Hamas.
President Joe Biden, who is spending Thanksgiving with his family on Nantucket, was briefed several times Friday morning by his national security team on the latest developments regarding the release of hostages from Gaza.
He will discuss the situation from Nantucket on Friday afternoon around 1:45 p.m.
So far, 25 people have been released since hundreds were kidnapped and brought to the territory by the terrorist group during the attack on Israel on October 7.
On Thursday, as President and First Lady Jill Biden delivered Thanksgiving pumpkin pies to the Nantucket Fire Department, Biden told reporters, “I’m rooting for you,” when asked if three-year-old Abigail Mor Edan was among the hostages released.
Edan, an Israeli-American whose parents were killed in the October 7 attack, turns four on Friday.
President Joe Biden said Thursday he had his “fingers crossed” that Israeli-American child Abigail Mor Edan, who celebrates her fourth birthday on Friday, would be among the first hostages released.
Abigail Mor Edan lost both her parents in Hamas’ bloody attack on Israel on October 7 and is believed to be the youngest American citizen in the hands of the terrorist group.
Edan is the youngest known American citizen held by Hamas.
“When I think about it, Friday is Abigail’s fourth birthday and she should be home with her family and with her sister and brother, and that’s not the case right now,” Edan’s great-aunt Liz Hirsh Naftali said on CNN, while she choked. she spoke.
“It’s like you’re in control of your emotions because otherwise you’re thinking about nine-month-old children, little girls, little boys, mothers and just hoping that there’s someone holding these little children,” Naftali said.
“If people ask that: I am not a politician, I am not a diplomat, I will believe it when I see them running away, being expelled and they are free,” Naftali also said.
Qatar’s Foreign Ministry said Friday evening that 13 Israelis had been released, as well as 10 Thai prisoners and one Filipino citizen in the first group.
The IDF confirmed that the hostages are back in Israel.
Biden also told reporters, “I’m not prepared to give an update until it’s done,” when asked Thursday about the ceasefire deal and the release of hostages at the Nantucket Fire Department.