Live Update 
From the Liveblog of
Sunday, October 8, 2023
From the Liveblog of
Sunday, October 8, 2023
Blinken says working to verify reports of US hostages in Gaza, would be ‘a priority’ for White House
Lazar Berman is The Times of Israel's diplomatic reporter
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks during a news conference as he announces that five Americans who had been jailed for years in Iran have been freed, in New York City on September 18, 2023. (Craig Ruttle / POOL / AFP)
Echoing comments he made on CNN, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken tells NBC’s Meet the Press that “we have reports” that several Americans are among the dead and kidnapped, but would not confirm.
He adds, “We are very actively working to verify those reports.”
Blinken says “any American anywhere who is being detained or held hostage, that is going to be a priority for this government, for this administration, and for me, but I don’t want to get ahead of where we are. We have reports, and we have to verify them.”
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