Family begs Biden to free Fresno mother missing in Israel since Hamas attack
Adrienne Neta was on the phone with her children hiding in the bunker of her home in Israel when Hamas militants barged through the door. The last thing they heard was their mother’s screams — but the lack of gunfire provided her family with hope that she survived the attack.
Five days on since the deadliest day in Israel’s history, Neta’s family still awaits news of her fate, hoping the U.S. citizen and Fresno native is alive as a hostage of Hamas in Gaza.
They expect the Biden administration to do all in its power to return her safely home.
“They are responsible to bring the U.S. citizens back home, safe and sound. We expect nothing less from the U.S. administration and President Biden,” said Nahar Neta, one of her sons, at a press conference in Israel on Tuesday.
“The optimistic scenario here is that she’s held hostage in Gaza, and not dead on the street of the kibbutz where we grew up,” he said. “My mom devoted her life to helping other people of all races and genders, in her practice as a nurse.”
Neta is one of a small number of Americans still missing since the Oct. 7 massacre that left over 1,200 Israelis dead and thousands more wounded. Israeli officials say that Hamas is currently holding over 100 hostages in Gaza, including U.S. citizens.
President Joe Biden on Wednesday refused to provide details on what his administration was doing to free American hostages, but said his team was doing all it could to secure their release.
“The press are going to shout to me — and many of you are — that, you know, ‘What are you doing to bring these — get these folks home?’” Biden told Jewish leaders during a roundtable event at the White House. “If I told you, I wouldn’t be able to get them home.”
“Folks, there’s a lot we’re doing — a lot we’re doing,” he added. “I have not given up hope on bringing these folks home.”
Secretary of State Antony Blinken and a top U.S. diplomat in the Office of the Special Envoy for Hostage Affairs traveled to Israel on Thursday, and will continue on to Qatar for talks on mediating a hostage release, officials said. The Qatari government has already begun working to broker a deal to secure their release, and neither Hamas nor Israel have rejected the effort outright, an Israeli official told McClatchy.
Blinken met with the families of slain and missing Americans during the visit, vowing to do what he could to bring the American hostages home.
“There’s an unrelenting agony of not knowing the fate of their loved ones,” Blinken told reporters after the meeting. “Nobody should have to endure what they’re going through.”
FBI and U.S. special forces are also on the ground in Israel providing expertise to their Israeli counterparts attempting to locate the missing.
Hamas officials have threatened to execute hostages if Israel launches a widely-anticipated ground invasion of the Gaza Strip. Israeli officials have said they will continue their complete siege of Gaza, launched in response to Hamas’ attack, until Hamas releases them.
In an interview with NBC, Nahar Neta said he is hopeful that his mother is alive and remaining strong.
“My mom, she’s a tough lady,” he said.
This story was originally published October 12, 2023 at 5:04 PM with the headline "Family begs Biden to free Fresno mother missing in Israel since Hamas attack."
