US working to assist Americans seeking to leave Gaza, West Bank

The Biden administration shared that U.S. officials are currently working to assist Americans who are seeking to leave the Gaza Strip and the West Bank amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the militant group Hamas. 

In a news release Sunday, the administration said that national security adviser Jake Sullivan and principal deputy national security adviser Jon Finer were briefed on the efforts to help residents who want to leave the war-torn areas. 

Sullivan and Finer were also provided updates on the government’s coordination with the United Nations, Israel, Egypt, Jordan and other countries in the region. Their goal is to facilitate humanitarian assistance and ensure civilians have access to water, food and medical care in Gaza. 

The administration also said it is holding sessions with Arabic and Muslim community leaders on the ongoing conflict. 

“Sullivan and Finer reiterated President Biden’s remarks that there is no place in America for hatred of any community, and they discussed with participants how the federal government can support affected communities,” the administration said in its news release. 

This comes a week after Hamas, a militant group that governs Gaza, launched its deadly attack against Israel. The week-old war has claimed more than 3,600 lives across Israel and Gaza. 

Israeli armed forces have launched a counteroffensive against the militant group, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying his country’s forces will exact a “huge price” against Hamas for the attack. 

The U.S., along with its Western allies, has shown its support for Israel. 

The State Department on Saturday reported that 29 Americans have died in the Israeli-Hamas conflict, also noting that 15 Americans remain unaccounted for, including one lawful permanent resident. 

“The U.S. government is working around the clock to determine their whereabouts and is working with the Israeli government on every aspect of the hostage crisis, including sharing intelligence and deploying experts from across the United States government to advise the Israeli government on hostage recovery efforts,” the State Department spokesperson said in a statement.