National Security Advisor on Israel-Hamas conflict
WASHINGTON, D.C. (CBS, KYMA/KECY) - National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan spoke with Face the Nation moderator Margaret Brennan Sunday about efforts to rescue hostages held by Hamas and provide Americans in Gaza a safe exit.
"We are in regular contact with most of the Americans who are in Gaza. We can't say every single one, but all of the ones who reach out to us we follow up with on a regular basis, even sometimes a daily basis. And so we know that many of them are still there, still waiting to get out. And we are working actively to try to make that happen. The challenge right now...is that the Egyptians are prepared to let Americans and other foreign nationals out of Gaza. The Israelis have no issue with that. But Hamas is preventing their departure and making a series of demands. We're trying to work through that to create a circumstance where all of the Americans who are in Gaza are able to get out. It is a priority for the President. He has no higher priority than their safe passage out. And he will continue to work at it until it is accomplished.
Jake Sullivan, National Security Advisor
During the interview, Brennan and Sullivan spoke about Secretary of State Antony Blinken's comments on how a temporary pause and bombing would benefit Hamas.
"Well, what a lot of people are calling for is just a stop to Israeli military action against terrorists period. Just stop no more Israel cannot go after terrorists who conducted this largest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust, and who continue to fire rockets and continue to attack Israel. We have taken the position that Israel has a right to defend itself against terrorist attacks. That is different from what Secretary Blinken spoke about, which was a humanitarian pause. A pause in the fighting, for example, so that there's a period of time where there can be safe passage of hostages."
Jake Sullivan, National Security Advisor
To watch more of Brennan's interview with Sullivan, click here.
