The Hamas terror group is blocking hundreds of Americans who are stuck inside the Gaza Strip from leaving the territory, a senior State Department official said Monday.
The situation is a grim twist on the pro-Palestinian talking point that Israel runs Gaza as an “open-air prison” — despite not controlling the area since 2005.
With Israel readying its forces to ramp up its ground invasion following Hamas’ slaughter of more than 1,400 people — including at least 33 Americans — on Oct. 7, US officials are working overtime to secure the release of Americans who wish to leave before hostilities intensify.
“There has been an intensive State Department-led effort to work with all relevant stakeholders, which include Israel, Egypt, the United Nations and Hamas, who has to allow for safe movement of those civilians through Gaza and out through the Rafah crossing [into Egypt,]” the official said.
On Monday morning, Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed the situation with Qatar’s Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said.
Read more at https://nypost.com/2023/10/30/news/hamas-wont-let-hundreds-of-americans-trapped-in-gaza-leave-pentagon/
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