Speaking to the press after leaving church on Saturday, President Joe Biden said his staff has been in contact with the Israelis since bodies were discovered in Gaza.
"They're not sure the exact number," Biden said.
"There’s a lot of speculation to who they are, the names. I'm not at liberty to do that at this moment until the families are notified," Biden said.
The president said he is "still optimistic" about a hostage and cease-fire deal.
"Our people are continuing to meet, and we think we can close the deal. They've all said they agree on the canons. So, keep your fingers crossed," he added.
"It is time this war ended. We should end this war. I think we are on the verge of having an agreement and [it's] just time to end it. Time to finish it," Biden said.
sapphire611 on September 1st, 2024 at 04:53 UTC »
This guy lost an arm, got featured in a hostage video, and went through who knows what in captivity for almost a whole year.
He was so, so close to making it out of this. I really wanted to just believe he would get to go back home to his family this whole time, despite the odds.... because if even a fraction of what happened to Hersh ever happened to my older brother, devastation wouldn't be enough to describe how I'd feel.
I pray he's with his friend Aner, and that in some spiritual plane, he'll one day be able to embrace his mother, father, and two little sisters. I pray that the peace he believed in will be reality sooner rather than later, despite the odds. Nobody should have to bury their child, Israeli or Palestinian.
I wish I had more to offer than prayer.
BehindTheRedCurtain on September 1st, 2024 at 04:27 UTC »
When I heard this news, I just thought about how incomprehensible it is to imagine being in the parents shoes. After ALL this time of going through emotional and mental Hell, to find this out.
Is it pure agony with nothing else? Is there any immediate relief/closure simultaneously buried as an under feeling with that agony, at the same time? What do you even do next after nearly a year of living with a mission to get your son released, and what did you tell yourself along the way to keep you going that you no longer can tell yourself.
Ibelieveinphysics on September 1st, 2024 at 04:03 UTC »
Oh no. Every time I see his poor mother on TV, my heart breaks for her. I'm so sorry to hear this. I was hoping they would get him out alive.
May his memory be a blessing.