Washington D.C. – Axios, November 12, 2024
President Biden is expected to meet on Wednesday afternoon with the families of the seven American hostages still held by Hamas in Gaza, according to two sources with knowledge of the issue.
Why it matters: Biden is still pushing for a breakthrough in the stalled hostage-release and ceasefire in Gaza negotiations, and is expected to raise the issue in his meeting with President-elect Trump on Wednesday morning, a source said.
The White House didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
Driving the news: Israeli President Isaac Herzog met Biden on Tuesday at the White House and told him the release of the hostages needs to be a top priority. Biden told Herzog he agrees.
After the meeting, the families of seven American hostages held in Gaza met with White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan and asked that Biden raise the issue in his meeting with Trump on Wednesday, a source with knowledge of the meeting said.
The families urged Sullivan to have the Biden administration work with Trump and his team “to commit all available time and resources” to get a deal that brings the hostages home before Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20, the families said in a statement.
