Vice President Kamala Harris visited with the relatives of hostages thought to be held by Hamas on Tuesday, providing an update following CIA Director William Burns’ participation in hostage discussions in Cairo over the weekend.
Five Americans are still missing and thought to have been kidnapped by Hamas during the strikes, following Israel’s announcement last month that Itay Chen, a 19-year-old Israeli soldier with dual Israeli-U.S. citizenship, was killed. National security advisor Jake Sullivan told reporters that while Burns was in Cairo, the U.S., Israel, Qatar, and Egypt held a “marathon” session late into the night, with Qatar and Egypt talking with Hamas.
Sullivan stated that while Hamas’ public pronouncements have been “less than encouraging,” the parties are awaiting a response from Hamas regarding a hostage deal.
The administration has stated unequivocally that it will continue to advocate for the release of all captives and an immediate cease-fire between Israel and Hamas six months after the militant group’s offensive on southern Israel on October 7.
Jonathan Dekel-Chen, father of hostage Sagui Dekel-Chen, told reporters following the meeting with Harris that he had come to encourage all sides to reach an agreement.
“There is a deal on the table that all of the parties agree to,” Dekel-Chen said, adding that they are still waiting for Hamas to respond.
Hamas is imprisoning Rachel Goldberg-Polin’s 23-year-old son, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, who described the meeting with Harris as “productive” and stated that the family members “want results.”
On “Face the Nation” Sunday, Goldberg-Polin asserted that the “failure” of world leaders and states involved in hostage discussions has resulted in the six-month imprisonment of her son and more than 130 others.
Harris, according to the White House, “underscored that President Biden and she have no higher priority than reuniting the hostages with their loved ones” as well as “reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to bring home the remains of those who have been tragically confirmed to be deceased.” She also briefed them on the United States’ efforts to secure the release of all hostages and an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
The vice president also met with the families in late October. The families of the hostages met with Sullivan on Monday.
According to Israeli sources, around 240 people were taken captive during the Hamas terrorist attack on October 7. Less than half of those detained had returned home six months later. Over the weekend, parties gathered in Cairo to resume negotiations to release the remaining captives held by Hamas.
Hostage diplomacy between the United States and Qatar began in October with the release of two dual US-Israeli hostages, a Chicago teenager and her mother. In November, a weeklong cease-fire freed over 100 hostages, including two American citizens, one of whom was only four years old. In late December, Israel reported that Judi Weinstein Haggai, the final American woman believed to be among the captives, had died.
