Joe Biden spoke yesterday with Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al Thani of Qatar about developments in Gaza and “urgent ongoing efforts” to secure the release of hostages being held by the Hamas militant group, the White House said.
Mr Biden “unequivocally” condemned the holding of hostages by Hamas, including many young children, one of whom is a three-year-old American citizen whose parents were killed by the group on 7 October, the White House said in a statement.
Qatar is the key mediator in the hostage negotiations.
“The two leaders agreed that all hostages must be released without further delay,” the White House statement said.
Last week, the CIA chief and the head of the Israeli Intelligence Agency, Mossad, were in Qatar where they met the country’s prime minster and other officials.
The White House statement made no mention of a ceasefire, saying the leaders talked about the need “to protect innocent civilians and ongoing efforts to increase the flow of humanitarian assistance into Gaza”.
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