乔·拜登总统说周五，二十多名人质在加沙地带被哈马斯释放这仅仅是一个开始，更多的人质有望很快被释放，希望其中有一些失踪的美国人。
周五早些时候，哈马斯释放了24名人质，作为与以色列临时停战的一部分以色列遭受恐怖袭击10月7日和以色列在加沙的报复性打击。据以色列官员称，在最初的恐怖袭击中，超过1200人在以色列丧生。据哈马斯控制的加沙卫生部称，自那以来，已有超过14，000人在加沙的报复行动中丧生。
“所有这些人质都经历了一场可怕的磨难，这是他们漫长疗伤之旅的开始，”他在马萨诸塞州楠塔基特发表讲话说，他正在那里与家人庆祝感恩节。"今天是大量辛勤工作和数周个人参与的成果。"
以色列政府周二晚上批准了一项协议，允许在为期四天的敌对行动暂停期间释放至少50名被扣为人质的妇女和儿童。周五被释放的人质中有妇女和儿童，其中一些还不到6岁。
拜登说:“医院里等待迎接这些孩子的泰迪熊是对这些孩子在如此年幼时所经历的创伤的严峻提醒。”
拜登说，两名美国妇女和3岁的阿比盖尔·伊丹仍然“失踪”一名政府高级官员此前曾表示，他们有望在这批50名人质获释后获释。
他说，周五的释放只是一个进程的开始，预计未来几天会有更多人质获释。
“我们也不会停止，直到我们得到这些人质带回家，并回答他们的下落，”拜登说。
他说，美国不知道失踪的美国人何时会被释放，也不知道他们目前的状况。但是拜登说，他希望他们被释放，他“希望和期待”他们“很快”会被释放。
为期四天的停火促成了人质的释放。拜登说，进一步延长停火的“机会是真实的”。
当战斗继续时，拜登说，他已经“鼓励”以色列总理本雅明·内塔尼亚胡“集中精力努力减少”平民伤亡人数，同时努力“消灭哈马斯”，称这是一个“合法的目标”美国认定哈马斯为恐怖组织。
拜登政府面临越来越大的压力，包括民主党人的支持敦促以色列控制加沙的平民伤亡，因为国际组织已经强调了那里正在发生的人道主义危机。
在关注确保人质获释的同时，拜登还强调了增加对加沙人道主义援助的努力，以帮助“因哈马斯发动的这场战争而遭受巨大痛苦的”平民。
“哈马斯根本不在乎他们，”他说。
拜登强调了为达成这项协议所做的数周工作，并亲自感谢了卡塔尔埃米尔、埃及总统和以色列总理。他说，他将继续与他们保持联系，“以确保此事不偏离轨道，交易的每个方面都得到落实。”
Biden says initial hostage release is 'only a start,' hopes for Americans' release 'soon'
President Joe Biden said thetwo-dozen hostages freed by Hamas in the Gaza Strip on Fridayis "only a start," with more hostages expected to be released soon -- with hopes that some of the missing Americans are among them.
Early Friday, 24 hostages were freed by Hamas as part of a temporary truce with Israel after the militant group'ssurprise terror attacks on Israelon Oct. 7 and Israel's retaliatory strikes in Gaza. More than 1,200 people were killed in Israel during the initial terror attack, according to Israeli officials. More than 14,000 people have been killed in retaliatory operations in Gaza since, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry.
"All of these hostages have been through a terrible ordeal, and this is the beginning of a long journey of healing for them," he said in an address from Nantucket, Massachusetts, where he is celebrating the Thanksgiving holiday with his family. "Today has been a product of a lot of hard work and weeks of personal engagement."
The Israeli government approved a deal Tuesday night that allowed for the release during a four-day pause in hostilities of at least 50 women and children held hostage. Among the hostages released Friday are women and children -- some of whom are younger than 6 years old.
"The teddy bears waiting to greet those children at the hospital are a stark reminder of the trauma these children have been through at such a very young age," Biden said.
Biden said two American women and 3-year-old Abigail Edan remain among those "missing." A senior administration official had previously said that they are expected to be released in this group of 50 hostages released.
He said that Friday's release is only the start of a process, and that more hostages are expected to be released in the coming days.
"We also will not stop until we get these hostages brought home and an answer to their whereabouts," Biden said.
He said the U.S. does not know when the missing Americans will be among those that are released nor does he know their conditions at this time. But Biden said he expects them to be released and that it's his "hope and expectation" that it "will be soon."
The four-day cease-fire facilitated the hostages' release. Biden said the "chances are real" for a truce to be extended further.
When fighting continues, Biden said he has "encouraged" Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "to focus on trying to reduce" the number of civilian casualties, while trying to "eliminate Hamas," calling that a "legitimate objective." The U.S. has designated Hamas a terrorist organization.
The Biden administration has faced increasing pressure,including from fellow Democratsto urge Israel to curb civilian casualties in Gaza as international organizations have highlighted the unfolding humanitarian crisis there.
And as he focuses on securing the release of hostages, Biden also highlighted efforts to increase humanitarian aid into Gaza to help civilians "who are suffering greatly because of this war that Hamas has unleashed."
"Hamas doesn't give a damn about them," he said.
Biden emphasized the weeks of work that went into getting this deal done and personally thanked the Emir of Qatar, Egyptian president and Israeli prime minister. He said he'd continue to be in contact with them "to make sure this stays on track and every aspect of the deal is implemented."
