Biden invites freed hostage to the White House, pledges to free remaining captives

“We remain determined to secure the release of every person taken hostage by Hamas during its brutal terrorist assault on Israel on October 7,” said Biden.

American, Qatari and Egyptian mediators are currently working to revive the phased ceasefire outline presented by Biden in May, which calls in its first stage for a “full and complete” six-week truce during which dozens of Israeli hostages—women, the elderly and the sick—would be exchanged for hundreds of Palestinian terrorists.

In April, Biden hosted freed Israeli child hostage Abigail Edan, who was released from Gaza on November 26 on the third day of the ceasefire.

“Last year, we secured the release of Abigail, a 4-year-old who was being held by Hamas. She’s remarkable and recovering from unspeakable trauma,” Biden tweeted at the time.

“Our time together yesterday was a reminder of the work we have in front of us to secure the release of all remaining hostages,” he added.

A White House official was reported as saying that during the meeting, the president “simply let her play like any 4-year-old. She played in the Oval Office and crawled under the table with the famous picture of Kennedy as a child.”