![]() “No Americans unfortunately got out today, but we’re hopeful.,” Kirby said. Kirby said that the White House remained hopeful that some of the nine Americans still believed to be in captivity in Gaza would be released in the coming days. Only one American, 4-year-old Abigail Edan, has been released by Hamas since start of the truce on Friday. Thirty Palestinian prisoners were released by Israel. Israel said Tuesday that 10 Israelis and two foreigners freed by Hamas exited Gaza to Egypt. The Americans spotlighted their concerns about civilians in Gaza as the latest swap of hostages for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel was completed Tuesday. “The price may be too high for the Israelis,” Cook said. Hamas in the past has demanded Israel release large numbers of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli detention in exchange for each Israeli soldier. Brokering swaps for Israeli forces are expected to be much more difficult for U.S. Those released since Friday’s truce started have been mainly women and children. Negotiations are turning to the dozens of Israeli men and Israeli security force members held captive in hopes of keeping the cease-fire and hostage-for-prisoner swap going, said Steven Cook, a Middle East expert at the Council on Foreign Relations. Meanwhile, CIA Director William Burns and David Barnea, the head of Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency, as well as Egyptian officials met in Qatar on Tuesday for talks on the same matter, according to a diplomatic official who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the talks. It will be his third trip to the region since Israel’s war with Hamas began last month. hopes to find a way to extend the cease-fire and get more hostages released, the State Department said Monday. ![]() Secretary of State Antony Blinken will return this week to the Middle East as the U.S. President Joe Biden has said he would like to see the pause - which has also allowed a surge of much-needed humanitarian aid to get into Gaza - continue as long as feasible.
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