While more than 200 innocent people remain hostages of Hamas barbarians in Gaza following the October 7 attack and massacre, there's another group of people trapped in the Gaza Strip — also by Hamas, mind you — that the apparent terrorist sympathizers in government, media, and entertainment conveniently don't mention.
As Biden's National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan discussed with Jake Tapper on CNN's "State of the Union" this Sunday, there are "hundreds" of "Palestinian Americans" who were living or visiting the Gaza Strip when Hamas launched its bloody war — all of whom are being prevented from leaving by Hamas.
Remember all that talk about Gaza being an "open-air prison" and how Israel is an "occupying force" the leftist Hamas sympathizers have been blathering about? Well, it turns out — as any sane person knew — that Hamas is actually the occupying force, bringing only death and terror to the Gaza Strip. Hamas is also, unsurprisingly, keeping Americans who lived or were visiting Gaza as prisoners.
The government of Egypt said they would allow the American citizens to exit Gaza into their country and Israel has said it would allow such a departure, but Hamas still won't let them leave. Yet those condemning Israel and propping up Hamas as justified "freedom fighters" through grossly warped logic won't mention the plight of those "Palestinian Americans."
Here's the conversation between Tapper and Sullivan, via CNN (emphasis added):
TAPPER: I know you can't just send in SEAL Team Six to get the hostages in the Hamas tunnels, because, first of all, you don't even know where they are.
But this is hundreds of American citizens by the Jaffa gate -- I'm sorry -- by the Rafah gate. They're stuck too. They can't get out. Two weeks ago, I asked you about them, and you said it was Hamas who wouldn't let them out, but the Israelis were ready, the Egyptians were ready.
What's going on? When can they get out?
SULLIVAN: So, just as there is ongoing discussions and negotiations over the hostages, we are facing a similar situation with the American citizens and other foreign nationals who are trapped in Gaza.
It is true the Egyptians are prepared to allow American citizens and foreign nationals to come through the Rafah gate into Egypt. The Israelis have no issue with that. Hamas has been preventing their departure and making a series of demands. I can't go through those demands in public, but that is the subject of the discussions and the negotiations that are ongoing.
We are trying to work through those to get to a point where we have secured the safe passage of any American in Gaza who wants to leave. We are in contact with them on a near-daily basis. We will continue to stay focused on this.
So, in addition to the hostages taken during their massacre and raid of Israel, Hamas is trying to wheel and deal to receive something — likely a ceasefire or more supplies to continue operating its terror tunnels and launching attacks against Israel — in return for allowing "Palestinian Americans" to leave the Gaza Strip.
For those inexplicably advocating for terrorists' interests, to admit that Hamas is the entity holding "hundreds" of people effectively hostage by preventing them from leaving is to concede that the terrorists are the problem, the ones operating an "open-air prison," and not Israel — which would allow the trapped Americans to leave — or any other country, like Egypt, which would allow their exit.
You see, it's a-ok when Hamas does the same thing terrorist sympathizers accuse Israel of doing (but which Israel is not actually doing), because "occupation," or some other anti-Semitic lie about Israel.
Nope, it's a clear demonstration of Hamas terrorists' true motives — and that's why you won't hear much about the hundreds of trapped "Palestinian Americans" whom Hamas is holding captive within the borders of the Gaza Strip.
This is @JakeSullivan46 to @jaketapper on Hamas holding 600 Palestinian Americans hostage in Gaza:
— Richard Goldberg (@rich_goldberg) October 30, 2023
“Hamas has been preventing their departure and making a series of demands. I can't go through those demands in public…”
Wow. https://t.co/5ast7HW2tw
Editor’s note: This post has been updated with the correct title for Sullivan.