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WASHINGTON: US President Joe Biden vowed in an interview broadcast Friday to do "everything in our power" to free Americans taken hostage by Hamas.
Biden told CBS's "60 Minutes" that he is to meet by videoconference on Friday with the families of some of the Americans seized by the Palestinian militant group.
"They have to know that the president of the United States of America cares deeply about what's happened to them, deeply," he said.
"And we're going to do everything in our power to get them home if we can find them."
CBS released a short excerpt from the interview on Friday. The full interview is to be broadcast on Sunday.
Speaking of Hamas, Biden said: "This is not even human behavior. It's pure barbarism."
The United States has not said exactly how many Americans it believes are being held in Hamas-controlled Gaza.
At least 27 Americans died in Saturday's attack on Israel by Hamas which left more than 1,300 people dead, mostly civilians.
The Gaza health ministry said Friday that at least 1,799 people have been killed in Israeli reprisal strikes on Gaza, including nearly 600 children.
An estimated 150 Israelis, foreigners and dual-nationals were taken hostage during Saturday's attack on Israel and taken to Gaza.
Hamas said Friday that 13 hostages, including foreigners, had been killed in Israeli strikes carried out on Gaza since the attack.
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