National security adviser Jake Sullivan repeated his calls for a hostage deal leading to a ceasefire in Gaza during a Sunday morning interview.
Speaking on CNN, Sullivan said there was no “definitive statement” to make about how many people were killed in an Israeli operation to rescue hostages, but said any deaths are a tragedy.
“The Israeli Defense Force has put out one number, and the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry has put out another number,” he said. “Innocent people were tragically killed in this operation. The exact number, we don’t know, but innocent people were killed.”
.@JakeSullivan46 confirms to @DanaBashCNN that “innocent people were tragically killed” during Israel’s hostage rescue operation and says that a ceasefire and hostage deal is the only way to prevent more loss of life.
Tune in at 9am ET for the full interview. pic.twitter.com/kPTrURI789
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) June 9, 2024
“That is heartbreaking, that is tragic, and the president himself has said in recent days that the Palestinian people are going through sheer hell in this conflict,” Sullivan continued. “Because Hamas is operating in a way that puts them in the crossfire, that holds hostages right in the heart of crowded civilian areas.”
A large crowd of anti-Israel protesters surrounded the White House on Saturday in a red banner representing the “red line” they say Israel crossed when Israel began operations in the southern Gaza city of Rafah.
Sullivan reiterated that the situation is tragic, but said Hamas has a role to play in ending hostilities.
“Every day that we see more innocent people lost is another horrible, awful, tragic day,” he said. “But there is only one answer to stop that from happening going forward, and that is a ceasefire and hostage deal that ends the military operations, brings the hostages home, and puts us in a position to give the Palestinians an opportunity for a better future for their people.”
The national security adviser made a similar point in another Sunday morning interview with CBS News.
“The most effective, certain, and right way to get all of the hostages out is to get a comprehensive ceasefire and hostage deal that President Biden described in public a few days ago,” Sullivan said, “that Israel has accepted, and now that we are awaiting Hamas to respond to.”