Hostage Deal Possible by Month’s End, Says Jake Sullivan
US national security adviser says Israel’s Syria operations backed by America
National security adviser Jake Sullivan believes a hostage-for-cease-fire deal could be finalized before the end of the month.
He shared this update with reporters in Tel Aviv on Thursday.
We’re now looking to close a hostage release deal and a cease-fire, which would stop the war and reunite hostages with their families
“We’re now looking to close a hostage release deal and a cease-fire, which would stop the war and reunite hostages with their families,” Sullivan said. “Just over one year ago, we reached a deal that brought 78 hostages out of Gaza and home to their families. It’s time to finish the job and bring all of the hostages home.”
Sullivan will travel to Doha and Cairo from Jerusalem to advance these negotiations.
His comments followed a lengthy meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. While Netanyahu’s statement after the meeting highlighted regional developments, especially events in Syria, likely hostages were also discussed. Mossad Director David Barnea and Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar attended the meeting. Bar recently returned from Cairo, and Barnea was in Doha, both working on the potential deal.
President-elect Donald Trump has warned Hamas it will have “hell to pay” if it does not release the hostages before his inauguration on January 20. Sullivan confirmed that Trump’s and President Joe Biden’s teams are collaborating on the cease-fire-for-hostage effort.
Sullivan said he met with the families of American hostages before leaving Washington.
“I made a commitment to them, the same commitment that I made every time I met with them, that I will do everything in my power to try to bring their loved ones home,” Sullivan said.
He added, “I had them in mind today when I met with Prime Minister Netanyahu, [Strategic Affairs] Minister [Ron] Dermer, and the security team to try to bring us closer to a deal.”
Sullivan confirmed that of the seven American hostages still believed to be held in Gaza, three are thought to be alive: Edan Alexander, Itay Chen, and Sagui Dekel-Chen. Four others—Gadi Haggai, Judih Weinstein Haggai, Omer Neutra, and Keith Siegel—are confirmed dead, but the US is working to retrieve their bodies from Gaza.
“We don’t have proof of life from a short time ago, but we believe they are alive,” Sullivan said.
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He dismissed claims that Netanyahu is delaying a deal until Trump takes office.
“I got the sense today from the prime minister that he’s ready to do a deal,” Sullivan said. “When I go to Doha and Cairo, my goal will be putting us in a position to close this deal this month, not later.”
I am here because every day matters
Sullivan emphasized the urgency, saying, “I wouldn’t be here today if I thought this could wait until after January 20. I am here because every day matters.”
He noted positive coordination with the incoming administration, adding, “There has been very good consultation and coordination with them on the issue of hostages.”
A Wall Street Journal report on Wednesday indicated Hamas had dropped two key demands: a permanent cease-fire and a complete withdrawal of IDF troops from Gaza. Another report stated Hamas provided a list of hostages, including Americans, who could be released in a deal.
Sullivan declined to confirm these reports but suggested Hamas is more amenable now due to several factors, including the cease-fire deal between Israel and Lebanon, which decoupled the southern and northern fronts, and Israel’s recent military successes, including the assassination of former Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar.
Sullivan emphasized that a deal was also necessary to enable a greater flow of humanitarian assistance into Gaza, which he told reporters aligns with both US and Israeli interests.
It is an American commandment, and a Jewish commandment, that every innocent life has value
“It is an American commandment, and a Jewish commandment, that every innocent life has value,” Sullivan said, dismissing a reporter’s question suggesting it was a mistake to allow aid into Gaza given Hamas’s tendency to divert it for terror-related purposes.
He said that the innocent civilians in Gaza “deserve the basic sustenance of life. They deserve food, water, medicine, [and] sanitation. And by the way, that’s not just an American position. That’s a requirement under international humanitarian law, and it is also the position of this Israeli government, which is not standing up saying we should give no humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza. They’re saying something different.”
In response to a question from The Media Line, Sullivan stressed that even if a deal is reached, it does not imply Hamas will remain in power in perpetuity or that efforts to replace the group have been abandoned. He clarified that such a deal would represent only the first phase, and a comprehensive, long-term plan for Gaza would still be necessary.
However, he declined to elaborate on what that plan might entail.
Regarding Syria, Sullivan confirmed that the US supports Israel’s military operations in the country. These operations target not only weapons of mass destruction but also other arms that could threaten Israel and US allies, including the Syrian Kurds.
“That is part of its effort to protect the country in the midst of a very fluid situation,” Sullivan said. “We are in deep consultations with the Israeli government about where this goes from here, what that will look like in the days and weeks ahead… But the efforts taken to date really have been focused on the types of capabilities that could represent the genuine threat to the State of Israel.”
On Thursday, Netanyahu stated that Israel will continue to hold the buffer zone territory until Syria establishes a governing force capable of adhering to the 1974 disengagement agreement, which ended the Yom Kippur War. The prime minister also emphasized that Israel would take all necessary steps to safeguard its security. He directed the IDF to temporarily control the buffer zone until an effective force emerges to enforce the agreement. Additionally, Netanyahu highlighted the importance of supporting minorities in Syria and preventing terrorist activities originating from Syrian soil.
“The balance of power in the Middle East has changed significantly, and not in the way that Sinwar, [Hezbollah leader Hasan] Nasrallah, or Iran had planned,” Sullivan stressed. “We are now faced with a dramatically reshaping Middle East in which Israel is stronger, Iran is weaker, its proxies decimated, and a cease-fire that is new and will hopefully be lasting in Lebanon, ensuring Israel’s security over the long term.”
He continued, “The purpose of my visit today has been to continue to build on this progress, to ensure that that cease-fire sticks and is fully enforced, to capitalize on the opportunity of the fall of Assad for a better future for the people of Syria, while vigilantly managing the risks that come with the change in Syria.”
Finally, Sullivan added: “President Biden remains committed to the simple proposition that the United States of America will never permit Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon.”
