WASHINGTON, D.C. – Nearly 240 people are still held hostage by Hamas. Their release is still under negotiation but US officials believe a deal could be reached soon.
Right now officials said there is no deal set in stone. While the White House is keeping quite on the details for the most part, they believe they’re getting close to finalizing a deal for their release.
Calls for releasing the hostages have been made across the world and in our nation’s capital. Last week during a March for Israel rally on the National Mall, people held up signs with some of the hostages’ faces and names and were calling for their release. Some of the family members of the hostages have also met with congressional members, too. Officials said some of these hostages include children and American citizens. US officials said they are working hard to finalize the negotiations to release the hostages. When the John Kirby, the National Security Council spokesperson, was asked if Israel is on board with the idea of pausing the fighting for a few days to release the hostages, he responded that gets into our negotiations for the hostages.
“I think you can imagine and again I want to be careful here that I don’t negotiate in public but if you’re going to secure the release of hostages and we certainly hope we’re going to be able to do that, you go to make sure they can get from where they are to safety and do that as safely as possible which means you’re gonna have to let at least a temporarily localized stop in the fighting to allow them to move,” said Kirby.
Outside of some congressional members offices, including some of own local members, they have fliers with the names and faces of hostages outside their office doors. Members said they are also hoping for their safe release, too.
