Families of American hostages speak out
The families of American hostages said they are "thrilled" 50 hostages are expected to be released, but added, "We are not going to rest until every single hostage is returned"
The families also said they "request an immediate update on whether our family members are alive and well."
![PHOTO: The parents and relatives of children kidnapped on Oct. 7, along with families of hostages and their supporters take part in a demonstration to protest 40 children held hostage in Gaza on World's Children Day on Nov. 20, 2023, in Tel Aviv, Israel.](https://i.abcnewsfe.com/a/6d1a3928-1edc-4cd8-a7fa-117af38f3623/hostage-children-mo_1700575653864_hpEmbed_3x2.jpg)
The families thanked President Joe Biden for his work on the hostage deal, adding, "We call on all world leaders to continue prioritizing this goal."
The whereabouts of nine U.S. citizens and one U.S. permanent resident are unknown, according to White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan. He said it's unclear whether they were among the hundreds of people who were taken hostage by Hamas.
![](https://i.abcnewsfe.com/a/ba3f839b-9833-4c1c-ae46-f3b75779cc1e/israel-gaza-18-epa-gmh-231121_1700591612446_hpMain.jpg)
"We don't know for certain that all 10 are still alive and we’ve been honest about that -- what we know and what we don't know," Sullivan told ABC News' "Good Morning America" on Wednesday. "We know that among those 10, three are women and children -- two women one child. And we believe that those three will be among the 50 who are released."
"Until we actually see them come out, be in the arms of their loved ones, get home safely, we cannot be fully confident," he added.