KHALID: Well, you know, Sarah, you mentioned at the outset here this hourslong delay yesterday. And at that point, it seemed really unclear whether this deal would even hold up. And I will say, the Biden administration was rather instrumental behind the scenes to shaping this negotiation and making sure that things went through. I mean, part of the issue from Hamas’ perspective is this is not solely about hostages. It is also about allowing more aid into Gaza to help the hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who are prevented from leaving Gaza to have basic necessities like food.
And so yesterday morning, where things were being held up, President Biden spoke with the emir of Qatar and the Qatari prime minister about mechanisms to resolve the holdups. Qatar has been the main mediator with Hamas. And the White House says that senior Biden administration officials were in regular contact throughout the day yesterday with the Israelis, the Qataris and the Egyptians to figure out a way to get this deal back on track. And ultimately, it seems like it worked.
Well imagine that. The only American hostage released is related to a biden appointee.
The only American released so far by Hamas in their hostage exchange with Israel is related to a Biden administration appointee and prominent Democrat donor.
Abigail Edan, a 4-year-old with dual Israeli-American citizenship, was among 17 hostages released Sunday by Hamas. She’s related to Liz Hirsh Naftali, whom Biden appointed to the Commission for the Preservation of America’s Heritage Abroad last July.
No argument from me on that. I do wonder if Hamas are removed entirely what will take their place? If Hamas leadership changes takes place and they renounce terrorism would that be sufficient for Israel?