By Doina Chiacu
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – In an ongoing effort to secure the release of hostages taken by Hamas, more than 300 Americans and their family members have managed to leave Gaza, according to a White House official on Sunday.
Those who were released included U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents, and their family members, as confirmed by Jonathan Finer, the deputy national security adviser, during an interview on the CBS program “Face the Nation.”
While some American citizens have been able to leave Gaza, there are still others who remain trapped in the besieged enclave as the Israel-Hamas conflict continues. The exact number of Americans still inside Gaza was not disclosed by Finer.
Last week, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated that there were approximately 400 American citizens and their family members, totaling around 1,000 individuals, who expressed a desire to evacuate.
Efforts to evacuate injured Gazans and foreign passport holders through the Rafah crossing to Egypt have been temporarily halted since Saturday. However, Egyptian, U.S., and Qatari officials have assured that there are ongoing efforts to resume these evacuations.
Ever since the Oct. 7 attack by Palestinian Hamas gunmen, where Israel claims that 1,400 people were killed and over 240 were taken captive into Gaza, the region has been subjected to relentless bombardment.
Finer mentioned that negotiations for the release of hostages, including some Americans, taken by Hamas during the attack, are currently underway but kept confidential. He expressed optimism that a significant number of hostages could eventually be freed.
Last Wednesday, President Joe Biden emphasized the need for a cessation of hostilities to ensure the safe exit of hostages. The White House has also expressed support for a “humanitarian pause” aimed at facilitating aid deliveries into Gaza.
Gaza health authorities state that more than 9,770 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli strikes. Israel maintains that its attacks are specifically targeted at Hamas and not civilians, accusing the group of using civilians as human shields.
(Reporting by Doina Chiacu, additional reporting by Jarrett Renshaw in Rehobeth Beach, Delaware; Editing by Will Dunham, David Goodman, and Giles Elgood)
