In a recent statement made at a White House event, President Biden expressed his stance on the release of hostages, emphasizing the need for their freedom before engaging in further discussions, according to France 24.
When questioned about his support for a potential "hostages-for-ceasefire" agreement, the President made his position clear.
"We should have those hostages released and then we can talk," Biden said at a White House event when asked if he would support a "hostages-for-ceasefire" deal.
His remarks came shortly after Hamas announced that they had rescued two further Israeli woman detainees they had been holding captive.
Jake Sullivan, who serves as the National Security Advisor for the United States, issued the following statement: "we welcome today's release of two Israeli citizens held hostage by Hamas."
Sullivan made this statement on X, which was formerly known as Twitter. "We continue to do everything possible to secure the release of all remaining hostages in Gaza," he stated.
Judith and Natalie Raanan, a mother and daughter who are both American citizens, were set free on Friday. Israel announced on Monday that the number of confirmed hostages taken by Hamas gunmen who crossed the border and targeted kibbutz communities, towns, and military sites in southern Israel had climbed to 222.
Officials in Israel claim that Hamas terrorists were responsible for the deadliest attack in the nation's history, which claimed the lives of 1,400 people.
The terrorist attack was reportedly a response to long-disputed national lines that have caused those living in the Gaza Strip to assert that they're being kept from their ancestral land. Other reports indicate the Hamas group might have been religiously motivated in their move.
Israel retaliated with a punishing bombing campaign, which, according to the Hamas-controlled health ministry in Gaza, has now resulted in the deaths of almost 5,000 people.
Additionally, Biden discussed a conversation he had with Pope Francis on Sunday regarding the conflict between Israel and Hamas as well as the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
"The pope and I are on the same page, he was very very, very interested in what we were doing," stated Vice President Biden.
According to Biden, he had "laid out to him what the game plan was" in regards to the support that the United States provides for Israel. "The pope was across the board supportive," he stated further.
