NEW YORK, October 17. /TASS/. Releasing the hostages being held captive by the Palestinian radical movement,Hamas will be high on the agenda of US President Joe Biden’s visit to the Middle East, US National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby told CNN broadcaster on Tuesday.
"He [US President Biden] is obviously going to be very focused on the hostage situation," Kirby said adding that this issue will be discussed by the US president during his talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as well as during consultations with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, King of Jordan Abdullah II and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
"We are working hard to secure their release as soon as possible as the timeframe works and we are focused on it," Kirby added.
The Jerusalem Post reported on October 9 that various Palestinian groups had captured and were holding at least 130 people hostage. Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen said later that Hamas militants had more than 130 hostages.
Tensions flared up again in the Middle East on October 7 when militants from the radical Palestinian movement Hamas staged a surprise attack on Israeli territory from the Gaza Strip. Hamas described its attack as a response to the aggressive actions of Israeli authorities against the Al-Aqsa Mosque in the Old City of Jerusalem. Israel has announced a total blockade of the Gaza Strip and has been delivering rocket attacks on Gaza as well as some districts in Lebanon and Syria.
According to the latest official data, more than 2,800 Palestinians have been killed since the renewed outbreak of violence, while over 11,200 others have sustained wounds. In Israel, over 1,500 people have lost their lives and over 4,200 have been wounded in clashes, including on the West Bank of the Jordan River.