Biden announces Hamas release of 4-year-old American woman
Eva Deschamps / November 28, 2023
"She's free and she's in Israel," he said in a speech from the US state of Massachusetts.
The child had been taken hostage on October 7 by Hamas during its assault on Israel. According to White House adviser Jake Sullivan, the little girl "saw her parents killed in front of her ».
"She has suffered a terrible trauma," the American president lamented on Sunday.
According to the Israeli authorities, the bloody Hamas attack killed 1,200 people, most of them civilians.
According to the same source, around 240 people were kidnapped and taken to the Gaza Strip.
In retaliation, Israel declared a war to "annihilate" Hamas and relentlessly pounded the Gaza Strip. According to the latest Hamas government figures, 15,000 people have since been killed in this enclave, including 6,150 children and young people under 18.
Under the aegis of Qatar, Israel and Hamas reached an agreement for a renewable four-day truce in the fighting and the release of hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.
President Biden said he hoped the truce would be extended.
"It is my aim and our aim to ensure that this pause continues beyond tomorrow so that we can see more hostages released and more humanitarian aid" delivered to the Gaza Strip.