'Abigail is missing': Biden confirms girl will spend fourth birthday in Hamas captivity
The family of Abigail Mor Edan, who turned four on Friday, hoped she would be included in the first group of hostages released after nearly 50 days.
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Joe Biden confirmed a four-year-old Israeli-American girl kidnapped by Hamas on October 7 was not one of the first 24 hostages released on Friday.
Abigail Mor Edan, who was three when she was taken, lost both her parents in the violent attack on the Kibbutz Kfar Aza where she lived with her family. Her siblings, aged six and ten, survived after hiding for 14 hours.
Speaking from Nantucket, he said: "Today's release is the start of a process. We expect more hostages to be released tomorrow and more the day after and more the day after that.
"Over the next few days, we expect dozens of hostages will be returned to their families. We also remember all those who are still being held and we renew our commitment to work for their release as well.
"Two American women and one four-year-old child, Abigail, also remain among those missing.
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"We will not stop until we get these hostages brought home and an answer to their whereabouts."
Abigail's family had hoped she would be included in the first group of freed hostages in time for her fourth birthday on Friday.
During his speech, Biden warned the release of the first 24 hostages is "only the start."
Biden said it was a "promising" sign all hostages would be freed but insisted there would be a "long" process of negotiations.
He also said he will continue to speak to leaders across the Middle East in an effort to reach a peaceful move forward.
The release of the 24 hostages came after weeks of negotiations which resulted in an agreement on a four-day ceasefire.
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Israel released 39 imprisoned Palestinian women and children later on Friday as part of the deal.
With the truce comes increased shipments of fuel and supplies into Gaza — though still only enough to dent the needs of the 2.3 million Palestinians in Gaza who have endured weeks of Israeli bombardment, according to aid groups.
Israel has agreed to allow the delivery of 130,000 liters (34,300 gallons) of fuel a day into besieged Gaza for humanitarian needs for the duration of the truce.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he will press ahead with the war after the cease-fire expires.
Some 1,200 people have been killed in Israel, mostly during the initial incursion by Hamas while more than 13,300 Palestinians have been killed, according to the Health Ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza.
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