US President Joe Biden vowed in an interview broadcast Friday to do “everything in our power” to free Americans taken hostage by Hamas. Biden also spoke with families of 14 Americans still missing after the Palestinian militant group attacked Israel six days ago, taking dozens of hostages and triggering a bloody conflict.
At least 27 Americans are dead and others were kidnapped by Hamas, but the White House has not said exactly how many of the 14 people reported missing are among the hostages. An estimated 150 Israelis, foreigners and dual-nationals were taken hostage during Saturday’s attack on Israel and taken to Gaza.
The White House did not release any details about the call. But Biden told CBS’s “60 Minutes” that the families of the missing “have to know that the president of the United States of America cares deeply about what’s happened to them, deeply.” “And we’re going to do everything in our power to get them home if we can find them.”
CBS released a short excerpt from the interview on Friday. The full interview is to be broadcast on Sunday.
Speaking of Hamas, Biden said: “This is not even human behavior. It’s pure barbarism.”
The Gaza health ministry said Friday that at least 1,799 people have been killed in Israeli reprisal strikes on Gaza, including nearly 600 children. Hamas said Friday that 13 hostages, including foreigners, had been killed in Israeli strikes carried out on Gaza since the attack.
