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National Security Adviser: We Don’t Know if Israeli Airstrikes Killed Hostages

WORRYING

Hamas claimed last week that Israeli airstrikes killed a number of hostages.

National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan speaks from the White House briefing room podium.
Celal Gunes/Anadolu via Getty

National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said in a Sunday interview the U.S. did not know how many of the more than 200 hostages held captive by Hamas were still alive. The statement on This Week came after Hamas claimed last week that Israeli airstrikes killed 60 hostages. “We don’t take anything Hamas says at face value, but we have no information that can either corroborate or counteract that,” Sullivan said. “We simply don't know how many of the hostages are still alive, how many have been mistreated, how many Hamas itself has killed—just as it slaughtered hundreds and hundreds of people when it conducted those gruesome and horrific terrorist attacks on Oct. 7.” Sullivan also said in a series of Sunday show interviews that nine Americans were among the hostages.