American hostages were held captive by Hamas, with some having been released after being held for an extended period, including 15 months. Some of the freed hostages, including Keith and Aviva Siegel, have met with First Lady Melania Trump. The status of other US citizens, including those whose remains are being held in Gaza, is also being addressed through meetings between their families and officials such as Biden, Netanyahu, Rubio, and Huckabee.