Biden, Netanyahu agree to continue working to secure release of all hostages

By Iclal Turan

WASHINGTON (AA) - US President Joe Biden held a phone call Sunday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, during which they pledged to “continue working to secure the release of all hostages” being held by the Palestinian group Hamas, noting their “work is not yet done.”

Biden welcomed the release of hostages by Hamas over the past three days, including 4-year-old American girl Avigail Idan, according to a White House readout of the phone call.

Biden and Netanyahu also discussed the humanitarian pause in the fighting between Israel and Hamas and the surge in "much needed additional humanitarian assistance" into Gaza and Netanyahu thanked the president for his "tireless efforts" to help broker and fully implement the hostage deal, according to the White House.

“The two leaders agreed to remain in close contact over the coming days," the statement said.

A four-day humanitarian pause mediated by Qatar, Egypt and the US went into effect on Friday, temporarily halting Israel's attacks on the Gaza Strip.

In the first two days of the pause, Hamas and Israel exchanged 41 Israelis and foreigners for 78 Palestinians in Israeli jails.

Under the agreement, the hostages and prisoners will be released in batches during the course of four days.

Israel launched a massive military campaign in the Gaza Strip following an Oct. 7 cross-border attack by Hamas.

It has since killed at least 14,854 Palestinians, including 6,150 children and more than 4,000 women, according to health authorities in the enclave. The official Israeli death toll stands at 1,200.