Update Oct. 27, 10:20 a.m.: This story was corrected to reflect the hundreds of hostages in Gaza are from multuple countries, not just the United States.
North Carolina Republican U.S. Senator Ted Budd said there are people from the state who are among the hundreds of hostages being held by Hamas in Gaza.
Budd said on the Senate floor he met with some of the hostages’ families last week about the situation.
“They told me stories about their loved ones. They gave me their photos. These families, their fear and their heartache is something that no American should ever have to face,” he said.
Budd’s office did not provide information about the North Carolina hostages out of respect for the families’ privacy, partner station WUNC reported.
So far, no Virginians have been identified as hostages.
Watch North Carolina Sen. Ted Budd discuss American hostages in Gaza on the U.S. Senate floor. Video from the office of Sen. Ted Budd.
Hamas, the pro-Palestine militant group that initiated an attack on Israel earlier this month, has released several hostages in the last week following negotiations with humanitarian groups and other countries, including Qatar and the United States.
U.S. officials estimate 10 of the approximately 220 hostages in Gaza are American.
Budd said he plans to introduce a proposal that would block humanitarian aid to Gaza until all of the American hostages are released.
