Interview with US CBS… “We are in regular contact”
White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan criticized the Palestinian armed faction Hamas, saying it is blocking foreigners from leaving the Gaza Strip.
In an interview with the U.S. CBS Broadcasting on the 29th (local time), Assistant Director Sullivan said, “Hamas is preventing them (foreigners) from leaving and making a series of demands,” and added, “We will solve that and all Americans in Gaza will be able to get out.” We are trying to create a situation where we can. “It is the president’s top priority,” he said.
“Egypt is ready to remove Americans and other foreigners from Gaza,” he said, adding that Israel also has no disagreement with foreigners leaving.
The United States estimates that up to 600 Americans are trapped in Gaza. Sullivan said he was “in regular contact” with most of them.
In particular, Hamas is known to be holding more than 200 hostages. Assistant Director Sullivan said that they are actively working on this as well. Of the hostages held by Hamas since the outbreak of the war on the 7th, only four, including two Americans, have been released.
Meanwhile, on the same day, Sullivan said in an interview with CNN, “Israel must make every possible effort to distinguish between civilians and Hamas during ground operations in the Gaza Strip.”
While condemning Hamas’ unethical actions, such as holding civilian hostages, it appears to secure legitimacy for ground operations by mentioning the responsibility of Israel, an ally of the United States, to classify civilians.
“While (Hamas’ use of civilians as human shields) places an additional burden on Israel, it does not diminish Israel’s responsibility under international law to distinguish between terrorists and civilians and to protect the lives of innocent people,” Sullivan said. .
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.