On Sunday, White House national adviser Jake Sullivan said that the United States and Israel are uncertain about how many Hamas hostages taken on Oct. 7th are still alive. He explained that the U.S. is working to secure the release of nine American citizens and one U.S. green card holder who are suspected to be held captive by Hamas. Mr. Sullivan further stated that while there is a missing count provided by Israeli officials, they do not know how many hostages are still alive. Included in the missing count are nine American citizens and a green card holder.
Hamas, a terrorist group designated by the State Department, is responsible for the abduction of numerous civilians during attacks in Southern Israel, resulting in a large number of casualties. Since the attack, Israeli officials have made it their mission to dismantle Hamas and have initiated a substantial bombing campaign in Gaza. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has declared his intention to demilitarize Gaza and retain the authority to enter into the area to pursue terrorists.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken has expressed opposition to an Israeli reoccupation of Gaza and desires to see a unified Palestinian government in both Gaza and the West Bank. He envisions this as a step towards a Palestinian state. Additionally, he has emphasized that the U.S. is against the Israeli occupation of Gaza. Netanyahu also revealed that Hamas may be striking a deal for the release of hostages, but preferred not to divulge further details. He is confident that Israel will ultimately win the war and stressed the necessity of establishing a different authority to govern Gaza in the aftermath of the conflict.
Furthermore, President Joe Biden has stated that he had urged Israel to implement daily pauses and a pause of at least three days to allow for hostage negotiations. Despite repeated civilian evacuations, the U.S. has continued to advocate for greater measures to safeguard civilians in Gaza and secure the release of the hostages.