The United States has expressed approval for the agreement to release 50 hostages, including American citizens, who have been held by Hamas since the attack on Israel on October 7. Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated, "I cannot imagine the ordeal that each of these individuals has endured over the past few weeks, and I am thankful that they will be reunited with their loved ones soon."
Blinken highlighted that this outcome is a result of continuous diplomatic efforts across various departments within the U.S. government. He acknowledged the roles of Egypt and Qatar in facilitating this process. "I appreciate the leadership and ongoing partnership of Egypt and Qatar in this work," he said. Additionally, he expressed gratitude towards Israel for supporting a humanitarian pause, which will aid in transferring hostages to safety and provide more humanitarian assistance to Palestinian civilians in Gaza.
Despite this development being seen as progress, Blinken emphasized that efforts will continue until all hostages are released. "While this deal marks significant progress, we will not rest as long as Hamas continues to hold hostages in Gaza," he asserted. He reiterated his commitment to ensuring the safety of Americans abroad and vowed to keep working towards securing the release of every hostage.