Jake Sullivan quotes on US working for release of hostages, Israel's goal, President Biden speaking with families of the American hostages

White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan was the guest on several talk shows yesterday to give updates on the Israel-Hamas war. He discussed the Biden administration’s work on getting the hostages released, working with the UN to secure food and medical supplies to Gaza, assisting Palestinians in Gaza to get safe passage out, and Israel’s goals for the ground offensive.

“We are doing everything in our power to secure the release of the American hostages, of all the hostages. President Biden has sent hostage experts to coordinate with their Israeli counterparts on recovery efforts…The President has no higher priority than to make this happen.”
–Jake Sullivan, White House National Security Adviser told Jen Psaki on MSNBC “Inside with Jen Psaki”

Israel’s goal:

“Their goal is the safe and secure democratic and Jewish state of Israel that is not subject to constant, brutal, vicious terrorist attacks…More immediately, it is to try to eliminate the terrorist infrastructure of Hamas and to take out the leaders of Hamas so that they no longer represent a threat to Israel or to the Jewish people…The goal is to eliminate the threat that Hamas poses to the state of Israel and they are undertaking a military campaign to make that happen.”–Jake Sullivan, White House National Security Adviser told Jen Psaki on MSNBC “Inside with Jen Psaki”

His experience of being in the room when President Biden spoke with the families of the American hostages:

“It was hard to sit and listen to people who are enduring the most unimaginable pain. The pain of not knowing where their loved one is, what is happening to them, and it was just an absolutely gut wrenching, heart wrenching experience…And President Biden spent more than an hour and a half on the call with those families. Listening to them, comforting them…Honestly it was one of the most remarkable displays I’ve seen of his leadership, his compassion, at a moment of just absolute torture for these families. And it drove home for me that this isn’t about policy or strategy, this is about people.”–Jake Sullivan, White House National Security Adviser told Jen Psaki on MSNBC “Inside with Jen Psaki”

Photo credit: wikipedia