The United States on Wednesday welcomed an agreement to free 50 hostages held by Hamas. Among those subject to release are American citizens.
This was reported in a statement from the Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, released by the State Department.
“I cannot imagine the ordeal each of these people have endured over the past few weeks, and I am grateful that they will soon be reunited with their loved ones,” the document states. “Today’s outcome was made possible by the tireless diplomatic efforts of our entire department and the entire United States government.”
Blinken also praised Egypt and Qatar’s partnership in these efforts. He also thanked the Israeli government for supporting the idea of a humanitarian pause, “which will facilitate the transfer of hostages to safety and allow the delivery of additional humanitarian aid to Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip.”
“While this agreement represents significant progress, we will not rest as long as Hamas continues to hold hostages in Gaza. “My top priority is the safety of Americans abroad and we will continue our efforts to release all hostages and reunite them with their families as quickly as possible,” Secretary Blinken said.
