Palestinians wave their national flag and celebrate by a destroyed Israeli tank at the Gaza Strip fence east of Khan Younis southern Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023.
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The Big Story
White House: Americans among those held hostage by Hamas
President Biden on Tuesday confirmed that American citizens are among those being held hostage by the militant group following its unprecedented coordinated attack against Israel.
The president also said in remarks at the White House that the number of Americans confirmed killed in the attacks has risen to 14, among more than 1,000 people in Israel killed.
“We now know that American citizens are among those being held by Hamas,” Biden said.
“I’ve directed my team to share intelligence and deploy additional experts from across the United States government to consult with and advise Israeli counterparts on hostage recovery efforts,” he said.
Biden pledged U.S. resources to rescue Americans, stating, “As president, I have no higher priority than the safety of Americans being held hostage around the world.”
National security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters that the U.S. does not know the exact number of hostages at this point and does not have information about their condition.
Sullivan said the U.S. believes there are 20 or more Americans who are missing at this point. He clarified that’s the number of individuals unaccounted for, while the exact number of hostages is still unclear.
U.S. officials previously warned it was likely that Americans were among those held by Hamas, with White House national security spokesman John Kirby on Monday calling it a “grim” possibility.
Welcome to The Hill’s Defense & National Security newsletter, I’m Ellen Mitchell — your guide to the latest developments at the Pentagon, on Capitol Hill and beyond.
The USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group has arrived in the eastern Mediterranean Sea to “deter any actor” looking to escalate or widen the conflict between Israel and Hamas, the Biden administration announced Tuesday. The forces include the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford; its eight squadrons of attack and support aircraft; the Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser USS Normandy; and the Arleigh-Burke …
Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Al.) reported the former CIA Director Michael Hayden to the Capitol Police on Tuesday over the former general’s tweet suggesting the lawmaker should be removed from the human race. In a post on X asking if the senator should be removed from the Senate Armed Services Committee due to placing holds on military promotions, Hayden responded on Monday saying “how about the human race”? …
Israel’s military has “full control” of the area surrounding Gaza, the country’s Defense Forces spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said Tuesday. Hagari said the military has been conducting air strikes in Gaza every four hours for the past 36 hours “using every piece of intelligence to maximize damage to meeting spots for terrorists planning to invade Israel, houses belonging to senior Hamas commanders, terrorist …
The State Department officially declared Tuesday that the recent takeover of Niger’s government by a group of military leaders was a coup, cutting back on U.S. aid in the country. A military junta put the country’s president on house arrest and took control of the government in late July, raising tensions in the region. The U.S. government had previously refused to use the term “coup,” allowing some aid programs …
NATO defense ministers will kick off a two-day meeting at NATO headquarters in Brussels, with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg to give a statement early Wednesday morning followed by a news conference 12:30 p.m. E.T.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. CQ Brownwill chair a Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting in Brussels at 4 a.m. ET, followed by a news conference at 9:15 a.m.
In Other News
Branch out with a different read from The Hill:
American families plead with Biden to rescue loved ones taken hostage by Hamas
The last text message Rachel Goldberg received from her son Hersh Goldberg-Polin on Saturday morning was “I love you” and “I’m sorry.” Goldberg says Hirsh is believed to be among the hostages held by the terrorist group Hamas in the Gaza Strip, kidnapped after the group launched a surprise assault …
The Association of the U.S. Army will hold the final day of its annual meeting and exposition with Army Secretary Christine Wormuth; Army chief of staff Gen. Randy George; and Gen. Charles Hamilton, commanding general of U.S. Army Materiel Command.
U.S. Southern head Army Gen. Laura Richardsonwill speak at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies Center on Military and Political on “Latin America’s China Challenge” at 11 a.m.
The Hudson Institute will host a “Presidential Speech Series,” with North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum. The GOP presidential candidate will deliver an address on foreign policy at 4 p.m.
What We’re Reading
News we’ve flagged from other outlets:
Tuberville says former CIA director threatened him over abortion fight (Military Times)
Troops suing Defense Department over vaccine mandate reach $1.8 million settlement (Military.com)
