WASHINGTON – The Hamas terrorist group is preventing hundreds of Americans trapped inside the Gaza Strip from leaving the territory, a senior defense official said yesterday.
The situation is a grim twist on the pro-Palestinian talking point that Israel runs Gaza as an “open prison” – despite not having control of the area since 2005.
With Israel preparing its forces to step up its ground offensive in the wake of Hamas’ slaughter of more than 1,400 people – including at least 33 Americans – on October 7, US officials are working overtime to secure the release of Americans who want to leave before hostilities escalate. .
“There are intensive efforts by the State Department to work with all relevant stakeholders, including Israel, Egypt, the United Nations and Hamas, who need to allow the safe movement of those civilians through Gaza and out through the Rafah crossing. [into Egypt,]” said the officer.
On Monday morning, Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed the situation with Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said.
The terrorist group Hamas has blocked hundreds of Americans trapped inside the Gaza Strip from leaving the territory.REUTERS Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed the situation with Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani.AP
The secretary was also involved in several negotiations with Doha over the weekend, Miller added.
Qatar is the main intermediary for US negotiations with Hamas, having hosted the jihadist group’s political leadership for more than a decade.
“Our work to ensure the safety of Americans in Gaza continues to be our top priority,” Miller told reporters Monday. “We will continue to work at the highest level to ensure the release of every hostage held by Hamas, and safe passage for Americans in Gaza who wish to leave.”
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It is unclear how many Americans may be among the approximately 200 hostages held by Hamas. Two US citizens were released on October 20 after the US asked Qatar for help in negotiations.
“Hamas has not yet agreed to release anyone else [those who have been released to date,]” said Miller. “Regarding the Americans who want to leave Gaza, they continue not to operate the Rafah gate next to them.”
The Pentagon official said that the US has military forces in the region ready to support “hostage recovery efforts in Gaza, as well as work with all relevant stakeholders for the safe evacuation of Americans and other persons of interest to the United States from Gaza.”
So far, they have not been tasked to make any effort for it, the person added.
“Regarding the release of military aid, I have nothing to report for you today, other than to say we are the Department of Defense, and we are prepared for every contingency,” the official said.
Although defense officials said there are “hundreds” of US citizens in Gaza who want to leave, a State Department spokeswoman told The Post that the agency could not provide an exact figure.
Pentagon officials said that the US has military forces in the region ready to support “hostage recovery efforts in Gaza.” ZUMAPRESS.com Palestinians evacuate an injured man after an Israeli airstrike destroyed the home of the Abu Rizq family, in Rafah, south of the Gaza Strip.ZUMAPRESS.com
“We are communicating with US citizens asking for help leaving Gaza,” said the spokesman. “Due to safety and security considerations, and the fact that this is a fluid and rapidly evolving situation, we are not in a position to provide numbers.”
The State Department has chartered several flights out of Israel for Americans stuck in the Jewish state without flights home after a major airline halted operations in the country at the start of the conflict.
The last US chartered flight will take off on Tuesday, Miller said, after only five passengers took the flight recently.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
