White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan confirmed the possibility that Americans will be included in the additional hostages to be released on the 26th, the third day of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
On this day, Assistant Secretary Sullivan appeared on NBC and CNN one after another and said, “The key to this negotiation is the release of 50 hostages, including women and children, and that includes a total of three Americans, including two women and one child.” said.
“We have reason to believe that the Americans will be released,” Sullivan said. “We are in close dialogue with the governments of Israel, Qatar and Egypt, and we are hopeful that today’s release will include Americans, but at the same time, given that the opponents are terrorist groups, it is difficult to actually make it happen.” “Until then, we have to monitor the situation,” he emphasized.
Regarding the report that the American to be released is 4-year-old Abigail Ethan, he said, “I hope that Abigail will be released and celebrate her fourth birthday in the arms of other family members, even though her parents died in a brutal attack.” “It’s something that needs to be seen,” he explained.
He said, “We currently do not know the exact size of the hostages and whether they are alive.” He added, “Not only Hamas, but also some groups that are loosely linked to them, including the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), are dividing the hostages, and detaining them. “I know they are doing it,”.
However, he confirmed that “a total of 10 Americans, including 9 U.S. citizens and 1 permanent resident, are among the hostages,” and that “3 of them are women and children.”
Regarding the possibility of extending the temporary ceasefire, which expires in four days, he said, “Israel has already agreed to extend the ceasefire if it releases 10 additional hostages a day.” He reaffirmed the principle that “if you want an extension, you can continue releasing hostages.”
“The responsibility for the choice lies on the shoulders of Hamas,” he said, adding, “Israel will seek to continue its military operations, especially targeting the Hamas leadership.”
Regarding whether U.S. President Joe Biden will continue to support Israel if it resumes airstrikes, he said, “President Biden has made it clear that Israel has the right to defend itself against terrorist attacks.” “President Biden has also made clear that military strikes are accompanied by an obligation to protect civilians under international law,” Sullivan said, adding, “President Biden is also focused on humanitarian aid to hundreds of thousands of civilians in the Gaza Strip.”
Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani also appeared on CBS in the United States that day and confirmed, “We hope to see Abigail released soon.”
Concerning the possibility of extending the temporary ceasefire, Prime Minister Al Thani said, “I hope so,” and added, “For that to happen, Hamas must confirm the location and well-being of the hostages, and this cannot be known until the last day of the ceasefire.”
Previously, the governments of Egypt and Qatar confirmed that Hamas was planning to release 13 Israeli hostages and that Israel was planning to release 39 Palestinian prisoners.