White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan on Sunday called on Hamas to accept and comply with Israel’s proposed ceasefire and hostage release agreement aimed at ending the war.
President Biden announced the proposal late last month, saying it included a three-part plan for ending the fighting and releasing the remaining hostages.
“The most effective, sure and correct way to release all of the hostages is to get a comprehensive ceasefire and hostage agreement, which President Biden publicly outlined a few days ago, which Israel has accepted and which we are now waiting for Hamas’ response,” Sullivan said in an interview Sunday on CBS News’ “Face the Nation.”
“If Hamas agrees to this agreement, there will be a ceasefire, the hostages will return home, more humanitarian aid will flow in and better days will begin for the Palestinian people,” he added.
Hamas is believed to still be holding more than 100 hostages in the Gaza Strip, of which more than 30 are believed to have been killed.
The group, designated a terrorist organisation by the United States, kidnapped more than 250 people from southern Israel in a surprise attack on October 7, killing around 1,200. Around 100 hostages were released during a week-long ceasefire last November.
Sullivan’s comments came a day after a special operation to rescue four hostages in Gaza, the largest rescue of living hostages since the war began.
“If Hamas agrees to the agreement, there could be a ceasefire tomorrow, or even today, so from our perspective, the world needs to continue to emphasize this message very clearly and strongly,” Sullivan said. “We haven’t yet received an official response from Hamas. We’re waiting for a response.”
Last week, leaders of the 18 countries whose citizens are being held hostage issued a joint statement calling on Hamas and Israel to agree to a ceasefire proposal.
“There is no time to waste. Israel is ready to move forward with this agreement and calls on Hamas to begin the process of liberating its people,” the statement said.
“At this critical moment, we call on the leaders of Israel and Hamas to conclude this agreement and make any final compromises necessary to bring relief to both parties to this terrible conflict, including the families of the hostages and civilians. The time has come to end the war and this agreement is a necessary starting point,” the statement continued.
Since the October 7 attack, Israeli forces have launched a counter-offensive in the Gaza Strip, leaving more than 36,000 Palestinians dead, according to the Gaza Strip Ministry of Health.
