Biden speaks with families of Americans believed to be held hostage by Hamas
CBSN
President Biden on Friday spoke for over an hour with families of Americans believed to be held hostage by Hamas, according to the White House and a source familiar with the conference call.
The president, joined by National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, Special Envoy for Hostage Affairs Roger Carstens, Undersecretary of State John Bass, and National Security Council Coordinator for the Middle East Brett McGurk, spoke with families of 14 Americans still unaccounted for after Hamas attacked Israel, the White House said.
The U.S. believes some of those 14 Americans are being held by Hamas, which the U.S. has designated as a terrorist group. Hamas launched an attack on Israel on Oct. 7 that has at least 1,300 people. Israel has retaliated with airstrikes on the Gaza Strip, where health officials say some 1,800 people have been killed.