 President Joe Biden met with relatives of Americans held hostage by Hamas on December 13 as Israel intensifies its military campaign in Gaza after a pause in fighting during which more than 100 hostages were released speaking outside the White House. Relatives thank the US government for their efforts to secure the release of eight Americans still captive and over 130 hostages from other nations Hamas gunmen took 240 people hostage when they burst through the border with Israel killed around 1200 people according to Israeli tallies that a seven day truce saw more than 100 hostages released including for Americans the rest are still being held in Communicado as Israel bombards Gaza in an effort to destroy its Hamas rulers more than 18,000 people have been killed in Gaza according to local health authorities the other nearly 130 we have no doubt about that and today's today's meeting with President Biden and Secretary Blinken only reinforced that we appreciate we are thankful to the president and to his team because we know that they are working 24 hours a day and they are going to work through the holidays and they are going to do everything they can to make sure that all of our loved ones real people come home to us and to the families across the world and in Israel thank you so much a terrific terrific meeting and conversation I think we all came away feeling that as families of hostages of American Israeli hostages which are eight out of a total of 138 hostages we felt that and we felt before and we were only reinforced in seeing and believing that we could have no better friend in Washington or in the White House than President Biden himself and his administration