Tapper Hammers Sullivan, Says Hamas Hostages Don't Seem to Be 'Priority at All Right Now’
Things got a little heated Sunday on CNN's "State of the Union" when host Jake Tapper lit into National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, telling him it didn't seem like the Biden administration was prioritizing saving American hostages being held in Gaza by Hamas.
TAPPER: Is rescuing the hostages a priority at all? I mean, Israeli news media, like "Haaretz," they say it doesn't seem like it at all.
And frankly, Jake, if my kids were being held hostage in Gaza -- and, as you know, there are Americans being held hostage in Gaza right now -- I'd want you to send in the Navy SEALs. What's the conversation like in the White House about the U.S. conducting any sort of operations in order to save Americans being held hostage in Gaza?
SULLIVAN: Well, the president has been very clear that he has no higher priority than getting Americans back safe, Americans who are being held hostage by Hamas in Gaza right now.
Watch:
There are 15 Americans still missing and believed to be held hostage in Gaza, while 29 U.S. citizens are now confirmed dead after Hamas attacked Israel last weekend. Tapper didn't let up and said that saving the hostages didn't seem to be a priority "at all":
TAPPER: The Israelis are bombing the crap out of Gaza.
(CROSSTALK)
TAPPER: I mean, what -- it doesn't seem like saving the hostages are a priority at all right now.
SULLIVAN: Well, for President Biden, they are a priority. They're the highest possible priority.
And he has sent hostage experts to coordinate and consult with the Israeli government on hostage recovery efforts. He's also made sure that our diplomats are in touch with third countries in the region to explore avenues for their safe release.
I have to be cautious about how much I can say about certain efforts he's undertaking, because we want to protect those efforts to give us the best possible chance of getting our people home.
As RedState's Susie Moore reported earlier Sunday, Sullivan also revealed on the show that Israel had restored water to Southern Gaza. Sullivan told Tapper:
I can tell you this morning that I have been in touch with my Israeli counterparts just within the last hour who report to me that they have in fact turned the water pipe back on in Southern Gaza.
Republicans, meanwhile, have been sharply critical of the Biden administration's role in the conflict and claim that the recent release of $6 billion in frozen funds to Iran emboldened the Islamic Republic and that some of those funds may have gone to Hamas. They also question why the president didn't move more quickly to evacuate Americans from the region:
The GOP is also critical of Biden's slow-to-move plan to airlift Americans out of Israel amid the violence. It came only after the President faced rising pressure to fly citizens home.
Commercial airlines started providing planes on Friday – but it will only take fleeing Americans as far as Europe. There will be at least four charter flights per day taking Americans out of the country.
It's estimated that 160,000-170,000 Americans are in Israel both as residents, tourists, or otherwise.
The situation is fast-moving, and this site will continue to bring you updates on events as they occur.
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