Updated Oct 23, 2023 - Politics & Policy

Biden calls for hostages to be released before Israel-Hamas ceasefire talks

Sareen Habeshian

President Biden speaks during an event on Bidenomics in Washington, DC, on Oct. 23. Photo: Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images

President Biden, when asked about whether the U.S. would support a potential Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal in exchange for the release of hostages, Biden said: "We should have those hostages released and then we can talk."

The big picture: Hamas on Monday released two elderly Israeli hostages for what it said were humanitarian reasons. The group is still holding more than 200 people, including Americans, hostage, according to Israeli officials.

Securing the release of hostages has been a top priority for both the U.S. and Israeli governments, Axios' Barak Ravid reports.

Context: Two U.S. citizens were released last week by Hamas on humanitarian grounds, following mediation efforts by Qatar.

But there are still a number of Americans being held, as well as dozens more from other countries, White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said at a briefing Monday.
"They should be released immediately," Kirby said. "There's no reason for them to be held in the first place.

Go deeper: Scoop: Marine Corps 3-star general advising Israeli military on Gaza ground operation

Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional background.

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Biden calls for hostages to be released before Israel-Hamas ceasefire talks

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