We look at where the White House is in negotiating the release of American hostages held by Hamas, as well as how those efforts are resonating with voters.
SARAH MCCAMMON, HOST:
More hostages are expected to be released today, but there were no Americans among the first two groups of hostages released by Hamas so far this weekend, but the situation remains fluid. When President Biden was asked on Friday specifically about when the American hostages held by Hamas might be released, here's what he had to say.
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PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN: We don't know when that will occur, but we're going to be - expect it to occur. And we don't know what the list of all the hostages are and when they'll be released, but we know the numbers that are going to be released. So it's my hope and expectation it'll be soon.
MCCAMMON: To hear a little bit more about what President Biden is hoping for in the coming days and weeks, we're joined by NPR White House correspondent Asma Khalid. Good morning, Asma.
ASMA KHALID, BYLINE: Good morning, Sarah.
MCCAMMON: So it sounds like halfway into this four-day truce/prisoner exchange, there are still quite a few unknowns. Two Americans were released in late October, but none have been since. Asma, what have you heard about why no Americans were released among those who were released so far these past couple of days?
KHALID: Well, Sarah, we don't have a clear answer. In total, this temporary pause in fighting is supposed to secure the release of at least 50 women and children. And a spokesman with Biden's National Security Council said yesterday that they remain hopeful that this deal will include three American citizens. They said that they are still early in this temporary truce, this temporary process, but they will not comment on individual cases as the process is underway.
We had been previously told last week by a senior administration official that this deal could secure the release of a small child, an American citizen whose parents were killed during the October 7 attacks. And it's not clear how many hostages are American. We've been told by the administration that some 10 Americans are currently unaccounted for.
MCCAMMON: Asma, what is the Biden administration doing to try to keep things moving in the right direction between Hamas and Israel?
KHALID: Well, you know, Sarah, you mentioned at the outset here this hourslong delay yesterday. And at that point, it seemed really unclear whether this deal would even hold up. And I will say, the Biden administration was rather instrumental behind the scenes to shaping this negotiation and making sure that things went through. I mean, part of the issue from Hamas' perspective is this is not solely about hostages. It is also about allowing more aid into Gaza to help the hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who are prevented from leaving Gaza to have basic necessities like food.
And so yesterday morning, where things were being held up, President Biden spoke with the emir of Qatar and the Qatari prime minister about mechanisms to resolve the holdups. Qatar has been the main mediator with Hamas. And the White House says that senior Biden administration officials were in regular contact throughout the day yesterday with the Israelis, the Qataris and the Egyptians to figure out a way to get this deal back on track. And ultimately, it seems like it worked.
MCCAMMON: Is there any thinking that helping broker this deal might help Biden politically, especially with some of those younger voters with whom he's been struggling?
KHALID: You know, he was certainly key in getting this hostage deal in place. And his team had weeks of intense negotiations to make this happen. So, Sarah, I do think it is important to say that, you know, the president does deserve credit for this all. But what young voters want is not a temporary truce. They want a cease-fire. And it's not clear to me that if the fighting resumes and the images on social media of death and destruction in Gaza continue - that Biden will really see much of a shift with younger voters. Our most recent PBS NewsHour/Marist poll from earlier this month found that a majority of Democrats and particularly younger voters thought that the Israeli military response to the Hamas attack had been, quote, "too much."
MCCAMMON: And sticking with voters for a moment, President Biden is going to visit Colorado this week to highlight his economic policies. Is he getting any traction there with voters?
KHALID: He does not seem to be. I mean, polls have consistently shown that Americans have a lot of angst about the economy. The White House seems to think that this is a message and branding issue, not necessarily a substance issue, and so they are convinced they need to keep selling the president's economic wins to the public. And that's what you're going to see this week.
MCCAMMON: That's NPR White House correspondent Asma Khalid. Good to talk with you as always, Asma.
KHALID: Good to talk with you, as well.
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