Biden meets with young American who was held hostage by Hamas

President Biden had a heartwarming meeting at the White House on Wednesday with Abigail Edan, a 4-year-old who was held by Hamas in Gaza and was released last November as part of a hostage deal. The meeting was described as a moment of joy by White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan, but also served as a reminder of the work that still needs to be done as other hostages are still being held by Hamas months after the terrorist attacks against Israel in October.

Abigail Edan, who lost her parents during the attacks, was the youngest U.S. citizen held hostage by Hamas. She has dual Israeli-U.S. citizenship and was among the hostages released in November from Gaza. President Biden personally spoke with her family at the time.

The U.S. government is actively working to secure a cease-fire and hostage deal to ensure the safe return of all remaining hostages and to provide humanitarian aid to Gaza, where thousands of Palestinians have lost their lives during Israeli military operations in response to the attacks.

Israeli officials have reported that over 100 people are still being held in Gaza, with up to six of them being U.S. citizens. The meeting between President Biden and Abigail Edan highlights the ongoing efforts to bring all hostages home safely and to bring peace to the region.