Biden speaks with families of missing Americans, says they’re going through ‘agony’

President Joe Biden on Friday spoke with the families of 14 missing Americans, pronouncing they’re in “agony” as they look ahead to extra information about their family members who stay unaccounted for for the reason that Hamas terror assault on Israel this previous weekend.

Biden mirrored at the Friday morning video name he constructed from the White House all over a day match in Philadelphia, pronouncing that he talked with the families just about for over an hour. The name used to be led by way of the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs Roger Carson, in line with the White House.

“They’re going through agony not knowing what the status of their sons daughters, husbands, wives children are,” Biden mentioned. “You know, it’s gut wrenching. I assured them my personal commitment to do everything possible, everything possible to return every missing American to their families.”

“We’re working around the clock to secure the release of Americans held by Hamas, in close cooperation with Israel and our partners around the region. We’re not going to stop until we bring them home,” Biden persevered.

The White House has mentioned Americans are some of the ratings of folks being held hostage by way of Hamas.

National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby advised newshounds Thursday the management believes the quantity of Americans being held is “less than a handful” however nonetheless had no information about their situation or standing.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken, whilst in Doha on Friday, mentioned the U.S. and Qatar are running “intensively together” to safe the discharge of the Americans and others taken hostage by way of Hamas.

“I’m grateful for the urgency that Qatar is bringing to this effort. I had an opportunity to meet yesterday with the families of some of those being held hostage by Hamas,” Blinken mentioned at a press convention along Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani. “Their anguish is profound. They’re desperate to bring their loved ones home. And we are working urgently on that effort. We’re doing that with Qatar and we’re doing that with allies and partners across the region.”

Al Thani perceived to categorical some optimism that some of the hostages would ultimately be recovered and stressed out that Israel must observe global regulation in all its army operations.

At least 27 Americans had been killed for the reason that combating started on Saturday when Hamas introduced an remarkable incursion in Israel.

Biden mentioned Friday “the more we learned about the attack, the more horrifying it becomes” and mentioned Hamas “make Al Qaeda look pure.”

“They’re pure evil,” Biden mentioned of Hamas. “As I’ve said from the beginning, the United States, make no mistake about it, stands with Israel.”

The U.S. is offering constitution flights to lend a hand evacuate Americans in Israel. The first flight left on Friday for Europe.

“The State Department will continue to organize these charter flights for as long as there is a demand from US citizens for departure assistance,” Kirby mentioned on Friday.

For the previous a number of days, Israel has fired airstrikes at Gaza and is lately getting ready for a imaginable floor invasion. Early Friday, the Israel Defense Forces advised greater than 1 million Gazans to escape south to steer clear of the combating.

President Biden on Friday highlighted each Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin’s visits to the area in contemporary days, once more reiterating that the U.S. would make certain Israel had the strengthen it wanted.

But Biden additionally raised worry concerning the rising humanitarian disaster in Gaza, pronouncing this is a “priority” to urgently cope with it.

“At my direction, our teams are working in the region including communicating directly with the governments of Israel, Egypt, Jordan, and other Arab nations and the United Nations to surge support and humanitarian consequences for Hamas’ attack to help Israel,” Biden mentioned.

“You know, we had to — we can’t lose sight of the fact that the overwhelming majority of Palestinians had nothing to do with Hamas, and Hamas’s appalling attacks. And they’re suffering as a result as well,” the president added.

ABC’s Alexandra Hutzler and Shannon Crawford contributed to this file.