Biden meets with families of Americans held hostage by Hamas

President Biden on Wednesday met privately with families of Americans being held hostage by Hamas since its sneak attack in Israel on Oct. 7.

The meeting was Mr. Biden’s first in-person conversation with families of hostages. He previously spoke with them over Zoom in mid-October.

Administration officials say eight Americans are unaccounted for since the fighting began. It is unclear if the White House believes all eight are being held hostage.

One of the hostages remaining is a woman who was expected to be released under a previous deal with Hamas, but the deal collapsed when the terror group did not release additional women it was holding.

So far, the U.S. has helped to secure the release of more than 100 hostages, including four Americans. Natalie and Judith Raanan were released in late October after extensive negotiations; 4-year-old Abigail Eden, whose parents were killed by Hamas and whose mother is American, was released on Nov. 26; and Liat Beinin, a high school teacher and tour guide, was released on Nov. 29.

Family members attending the White House meeting include Yael Alexander; Adi Alexander; Ruby Chen; Roy Chen; Ronen Neutra; Orna Neutra; Jonathan Dekel-Chen; Gillian Kaye; Aviva Siegel; Elan Siegel; Shir Siegel; Hanna Siegel and Liz Naftali, according to the White House.

Family members Jon Polin, Rachel Goldbert, and Iris Haggai joined the meeting by phone, the White House said.

Mr. Dekel-Chen, whose son is believed to be held by Hamas, said the families had a “terrific” meeting with the president.

“We could have no better friend in Washington or the White House than President Biden himself,” he told reporters after the meeting.

He hailed the administration for being “very transparent” and frequently reaching out to hostage families, but declined to discuss what was talked about during the meeting, saying it was “a private conversation.”

During a Hanukkah reception at the White House this week, Mr. Biden reiterated his commitment to bring every hostage home.

Families of Americans who have been detained abroad elsewhere questioned the meeting, saying Mr. Biden has been ignoring them. They said they don’t understand why the families of Americans held hostage by Hamas were granted a meeting with the president, while their own requests to speak with Mr. Biden have not been honored.

The group, Bring our Families Home, set up picnic tables with plates and photos of their loved ones outside the White House on Tuesday to symbolize the empty seats at their holiday tables.

Jonathan Franks, a spokesman for the group, said they were forcibly removed from the area by the U.S. Secret Service.

“While the president seems happy to meet with other families, an administration that likes to lecture others about equity seems perfectly happy to leave our families out on the sidewalk in the cold and have them forcibly removed from the park by [Secret Service],” Mr. Franks said. “Actions speak louder than words and this administration clearly could care less about the families who don’t have fancy PR firms and lobbies with nine-figure budgets behind them.”

Members of the Biden administration who participated in the meeting include Secretary of State Antony Blinken and principal deputy national security adviser Jon Finer.

Other senior administration officials have also met in person with the families, including Vice President Kamala Harris, second gentleman Doug Emhoff and national security adviser Jake Sullivan.