Rescuing American hostages in Gaza is a “top priority” for the Biden administration, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan insisted Sunday.
But Sullivan doubted whether the administration was considering sending Navy Seals to carry out the rescue operation, and noted the complication was that the US did not know where most of the hostages were.
“The president is very clear that he has no higher priority than getting the American people safe,” Sullivan told CNN’s “State of the Union,” when pressed by moderator Jake Tapper about how Israel is “bombing the crap out of Gaza.”
“We need to continue to refine our understanding of where they are,” he continued. “We know there are 15 unaccounted for Americans, but we cannot confirm the exact number of American hostages being held by Hamas at this time.”
A hypothetical prisoner exchange deal with Hamas, which is a US-designated terrorist group, is not in the works, Sullivan noted.
“We don’t see that. We have never heard from them anything like that. That is not something that is under active discussion and has not been proposed,” he said.
Jake Sullivan said that recovering the hostages in Gaza is a high priority for the Biden administration. Chris Kleponis / CNP / SplashNews.com American-Israeli families hold a press conference about their loved ones who were taken hostage by Hamas during the attack. State Dept. Debbie Hill/UPI/Shutterstock
“Biden has shown over the last few years that he will make difficult decisions to bring home American hostages. In this case, our focus is to work through those third country channels and I will leave that for now.”
At least 29 Americans have been killed since Hamas launched its surprise attack on Israel last week, and 15 remain unaccounted for, according to the US State Department.
More than 1,300 Israelis and 2,329 Palestinians have been killed in the bloody war, which broke out on October 7, according to local authorities.
Hamas terrorists kidnap someone during the Supernova music festival.ANONYMOUS/AFP via Getty Images
Tapper then grilled Sullivan about why the administration hasn’t talked about Israel cutting power and supplies to Gaza, comparing it to rhetoric about condemning Russian President Vladimir Putin for cutting off critical supplies to Ukraine.
“Israel is not Russia,” Sullivan countered, adding that those in Gaza “deserve, as I said before, access to water and medicine and food. And we are actively working to make sure that happens.”
Follow The Post’s live blog for the latest news on Hamas attacks on Israel
“I have been in contact with my Israeli counterpart within the last hour, who reported to me that they have actually turned on the water pipes in southern Gaza,” he added.
Sullivan went on to state that the US is working with Israel to ensure that “innocent Palestinians have access to those basic needs and are protected from bombing.”
Sullivan said the Biden administration is not currently working on a prison swap deal with Hamas. Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to make Hamas pay the price for its surprise attack earlier this month.REUTERS
Israel has urged Palestinians to leave Gaza City ahead of a possible ground invasion that has sparked threats from Iran.
“The critical thing from our perspective is that there is a safe place for civilians to go that will not be subject to military bombardment, where they can be physically safe, and where they can have access to essential food, water, medicine, shelter ,” Sullivan told NBC’s “Meet the Press.”
Categories: Trending
Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
