US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan says hostage negotiations are “ongoing,” with the US in hourly contact with Israel and regional partners to secure their release.
“Even though we have started to see Israel move in on the ground, that has not changed our basic view that this has to remain of paramount priority,” Sullivan says.
Speaking to the plight of the hostages’ families, the national security adviser says, “It’s impossible to understand what they’re going through not knowing the fate of their loved ones.
“It’s something that weighs on us emotionally, but we are trying to stay as focused and as clear-eyed as possible in achieving the objective of bringing people home,” he says, adding that one of the purposes of the humanitarian pauses it has been pushing in the Gaza fighting is for the hostages to be able to be safely released.
Sullivan says the US is also still working on getting out the several hundred American citizens who want to leave Gaza — an objective that has hit repeated roadblocks amid Israeli, Egyptian and Hamas intransigence.
Help us report truthfully on social media
As a multimedia journalist, my job is to take the quality, fact-based journalism produced by The Times of Israel newsroom and make it accessible across every platform — from Instagram posts to podcasts to short-form videos.
This is how many, especially young people, consume news these days. But misinformation is rampant on social media. Our team at ToI produces accurate, responsible short-form reporting on Israel and the Jewish world.
If you believe in the importance of factual social media journalism, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to sustain responsible multimedia reporting.
— Gabriella Jacobs, multimedia journalist
Support our work
Support our work
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You're a dedicated reader
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Join Our Community
Join Our Community
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
From the Liveblog of
Sunday, October 29, 2023
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
