Hamas is set to release at least one American hostage today, marking the first time U.S. citizens have been set free since the truce with Israel began.
The name of the hostage expected to be released has not been revealed. Two American women and four-year-old Abigail Mor Edan are among those being held by Hamas.
National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said there is 'reason to believe' one would be released on Sunday.
'Until we see her out safely from Gaza in the hands of the authorities and ultimately in the hands of her family than we won't be certain,' Sullivan said, 'but we have reason to believe one will be released today.'
The terror group has been holding hostages since its October 7 surprise attack on Israel that left more than 1,200 Israelis dead. Over 13,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Israeli counteroffensive.
Edan, an Israeli American girl whose parents were killed in the attack, is one of the hostages. Scores of other hostages have been released on Friday and Saturday, but no American have been among those freed to date.
Edan celebrated her fourth birthday in captivity, just two days ago. She was kidnapped when militants stormed her kibbutz in southern Israel and gunned down her parents Roy Edan, 43, and Smadar Edan, 40.
Abigail's siblings, aged 10 and six, survived after hiding out in the family home.
State Department officials have yet to confirm the names of the other two women believed to be held hostage.
'All of these hostages have been through a terrible ordeal, and this is the beginning of a long journey of healing for them,' Biden said in an address from Nantucket, Massachusetts, where he was celebrating the Thanksgiving holiday.
Earlier that day, the president was briefed multiple times by his national security team on the latest developments regarding the hostage release from Gaza.
'This morning I've been engaged with my team as we begin the first difficult days of implementing this deal,' Biden said. 'It's only a start but so far it's gone well.'
He noted how the first group of hostages included 'an elderly woman, a grandmother and mothers with their young children, some under the age of six years old.'
On Saturday, a dispute about the delivery of aid to Gaza delayed the release of 13 Israelis by several hours.
Two Americans, an Illinois mother and daughter, were released last month.
Judith and Natalie Raanan, who have dual American Israeli citizenship, were kidnapped from Nahal Oz together.
They were handed over to the Red Cross on October 20 before they were passed off to Israel.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asked his government to accept a deal for Hamas to free hostages in exchange for a multi-day truce Tuesday.
The deal was brokered by Qatar, the U.S. and Egypt.
A U.S. official said the deal would include 50 hostages taken from Israel, mostly women and children, in exchange for 150 Palestinian prisoners and a pause in the fighting.
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