Over 300 Americans able to leave Gaza but more still remain in war zone: White House official
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People gather for a rally in Times Square demanding the freeing of hostages taken in the Oct 7 attack by Hamas.
PHOTO: AFP
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WASHINGTON - Over 300 Americans and their family members have left Gaza but there are more United States citizens still remaining in the besieged enclave as talks continue on securing the release of hostages taken by Hamas.
Deputy National Security Adviser Jonathan Finer, speaking on the CBS programme Face The Nation on Sunday, said those released included US citizens, lawful permanent residents and their family members.
Mr Finer said there are inside Gaza a number of Americans who want to get out as the Israel-Hamas conflict rages on but did not specify how many.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken last week said there were about 400 American citizens and their family members, totalling about 1,000 people, who wanted to get out.
Evacuations of injured Gazans and foreign passport holders through the Rafah crossing to Egypt have been suspended since Saturday, but Egyptian, US and Qatari officials said there were efforts to resume them.
Gaza has been under bombardment since Palestinian Hamas gunmen on Oct 7
Difficult negotiations continue on how to secure the release of hostages, including some Americans, taken by Hamas in the attack, Mr Finer said.
He said: "Those negotiations are going on quietly behind the scenes. They have taken longer than any of us would like. But we continue to believe that there is the possibility of getting a significant number of these hostages released."
US President Joe Biden on Wednesday spoke about the need for a pause in the hostilities to allow hostages to get out, and the White House has said it supports a “humanitarian pause” to allow aid deliveries to Gaza.
The Gaza health authorities have said more than 9,770 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli strikes. Israel has said it is aiming its attacks at Hamas, not civilians, and accuses the group of using them as human shields. REUTERS
