President Joe Biden has shared the emotional moment freed US hostages spoke to their families on the phone ahead of their release. The Oval Office phone call took place on Thursday (1 August) ahead of the Americans, including Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gerschkovich, touching down on US soil following the highest-profile prisoner swap with Russia since the end of the Cold War. Biden shared footage of the call on X, formerly Twitter, and captioned the post: “ Every parent, child, spouse, and loved one who joined me in the Oval Office today has been praying for this day for a long time.”