At a Senate hearing yesterday (Tuesday), Secretary of State Antony Blinken said there are approximately 400 American citizens and their family members currently in Gaza.
“So it’s roughly 1,000 people who are stuck in Gaza and want to get out,” Blinken said. “I’m focused on this intensely. My entire department is as well, both in the region and here we’re working with various parties to try to facilitate their departure from Gaza.
“The impediment is simple: It’s Hamas,” he continued. “We’ve not yet found a way to get them out through whatever place and by whatever means that Hamas is not blocking, but we’re working on that.”
Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin are appearing before the Senate Appropriations Committee to lobby for supplemental funding for Israel and Ukraine.
As Blinken began his opening statement, antiwar protesters repeatedly interrupted him, waving their hands and yelling “Ceasefire!” from the gallery. They were escorted out of the room by Capitol Police.
Yahoo News
