The Biden administration has “reason to believe” one of many Americans held hostage will be released Sunday, a prime US official stated Sunday.
“We’re dealing with Hamas. We are in a ‘don’t trust, but verify’ situation here. And so we have reason to believe that there will be an American release today,” nationwide safety adviser Jake Sullivan advised CNN’s Dana Bash on “State of the Union.”
“Today should be a good day, a joyful day, but until we actually see it happen, we are going to remain really at the edge of our seat,” he stated.
Sullivan’s feedback verify earlier reporting from CNN that an American citizen is due to be amongst these freed at this time.
Two American girls and one youngster, 4-year-old Abigail Edan, are presently unaccounted-for and are anticipated to be a part of the group of 50 girls and youngsters hostages released as half a four-day truce, now in its third day.
No Americans had been released as a part of the deal on Friday or Saturday. Ten Americans are unaccounted for in complete.
The US, Sullivan stated, has “growing optimism” that Edan will be returned, although he declined to present a timeline.
“We are now hopeful that Abigail will be released and reunited with her family. She turned four just two days ago. She has been through hell. She had her parents killed right in front of her and has been held hostage for the last several weeks,” Sullivan stated.
“But I am going to say that we have growing optimism about Abigail and we will now watch and see what happens.”
Sullivan stated that it’s troublesome to know the true standing of the Americans being held. “We cannot say for certain whether all three of them are still alive. But we do know this: we have reason to believe that today, one American will be released,” he stated.
