Hamas’s attempts to smuggle wounded terrorists out of the Palestinian territory have delayed ongoing efforts to remove foreign nationals, including Americans, from the Gaza Strip, the Biden administration revealed on Friday.
“Hamas was not allowing anyone to leave,” a senior Biden administration official said during a call with reporters. “And then they said they would allow foreign citizens to leave, on the condition that several wounded Palestinians would also be allowed to leave, which of course is not objectionable.
“But the list that was provided, once examined, about a third of the injured Palestinians on the list were members of Hamas,” the official continued, calling the subterfuge “unacceptable.”
According to the official, some 6,000 foreign nationals were trapped in the war zone, including up to 500 U.S. citizens, mostly dual nationals.
For weeks, Hamas has denied thousands of foreigners safe passage out of Gaza, according to a senior Biden administration official.STRINGER/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
President Biden announced on Wednesday that Hamas had finally agreed to allow some American citizens to leave the Gaza Strip, along with wounded Palestinians and other foreign nationals.
The Biden administration official said Qatar and Egypt “were critical” in negotiations with Hamas.
On Thursday, Biden told reporters that “74 Americans, dual citizens” were able to leave Gaza, departing through the Rafah crossing toward neighboring Egypt. Five Americans were able to leave the day before.
Seventy-four American citizens were allowed to leave the Gaza Strip on Thursday.AFP via Getty Images
National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said he hopes more Americans can depart “at a similar, if not better, pace than what we’ve seen.”
The urgency to leave Gaza increased in recent days as Israel intensified military operations in the narrow strip of land, heavily bombing Hamas targets.
An Israeli airstrike on the densely populated Jabalia refugee camp in Gaza, targeting Hamas leaders, reportedly killed at least 50 people earlier this week.
“It’s not our military, it’s not an American military campaign, so I don’t want to be here playing quarterback, but I will say that when there are incidents, we will certainly have conversations with the Israelis,” the Biden administration said. the official said when asked about the strike, calling images of the aftermath “horrible.”
“According to the explanations we have received from the Israelis, it was not just a battalion, the battalion commander, but several of its leaders, a significant contingent of that battalion,” the official added, noting that “the intention was not collapse the conflict.” City block.”
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Source: vtt.edu.vn