Photo: whitehouse.gov
I welcome the agreement to release the hostages taken hostage by the Hamas terrorist group during the brutal attack on Israel on 7 October.
Jill and I have kept all the hostages and their loved ones in our hearts for many weeks, and I am extremely pleased that some of these brave souls who have endured weeks of captivity and untold suffering will be reunited with their families when this agreement is fully implemented.
I thank Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani of Qatar and President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi of Egypt for their decisive leadership and partnership in reaching this agreement. And I appreciate the commitment that Prime Minister Netanyahu and his government have made to support an extension of the pause to allow for the full implementation of this agreement and to ensure the provision of additional humanitarian assistance to alleviate the suffering of innocent Palestinian families in Gaza. I look forward to speaking with each of these leaders and we will remain in close contact as we work to ensure that this agreement is fully implemented. It is important that all aspects of this agreement are fully implemented.
As President, I have no higher priority than ensuring the safety of Americans held hostage around the world. That is why - from the first moments of the brutal Hamas attack - my national security team and I have worked closely with regional partners to do everything we can to secure the release of our fellow citizens. We saw the first results of these efforts in late October, when two Americans were reunited with their loved ones. Today's agreement should bring home more American hostages, and I will not stop until they are all released.
Today's agreement is a testament to the tireless diplomacy and commitment of many dedicated people across the U.S. government to bring Americans home.
(RoZ)
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