The Biden administration is still searching for concrete details about the condition of the handful of Americans believed to have been taken hostage by Hamas, including exactly how many the terror group may be holding captive in Gaza, or if they are currently being held together in one place, a US official told CNN.
National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications John Kirby told reporters Wednesday that, of the 17 known Americans unaccounted for in Israel at this time, the number believed held hostage by Hamas is “very small– like less than a handful.”
Many of those unaccounted for Americans are thought to be dual Israeli-American citizens. Israeli authorities believe up to 150 total hostages are being held in Gaza.
As the Biden administration continues its work to support Israel and move military assets into the region, US officials across the government are furiously working behind the scenes to piece together an accurate picture on the ground. That includes figuring out how many Americans are being held hostage in Gaza and what can be done about it.
“This isn’t just like any other typical hostage situation, this is an active war zone,” Kirby told CNN’s Jim Sciutto on Wednesday. “And so getting granular information that you can act on is going to be that much harder and the risks will be that much higher for any attempt to recover them.”
In remarks to a roundtable with members of the Jewish community at the White House Wednesday, President Joe Biden pledged the full force of his administration’s commitment to rescuing hostages, saying that while “we’re working on every aspect of the hostage crisis in Israel,” if he relayed in detail what steps the administration was taking, “I wouldn’t be able to get them home.”
“Folks, there’s a lot we’re doing– a lot we’re doing, I have not given up…
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