House Intelligence Committee chairman Mike Turner (R-OH) expressed concern over the Biden administration’s involvement in the hostage release deal that has seen the release of hostages by Hamas from Gaza in exchange for a temporary ceasefire, as no American hostages have been released as of Sunday morning.
Turner, speaking on NBC’s Meet the Press, questioned why officials from the Biden administration, including national security adviser Jake Sullivan, are unable to provide details on the deal that has seen the release of hostages in exchange for a temporary ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
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When asked if he is concerned about American hostages being used as “bargaining chips” by Hamas, Turner said he had worries over the details of the temporary ceasefire deal.
“I’m concerned that the Biden administration didn’t make it a condition of this deal that Americans be in the first hostages released, especially since American aid is going into Gaza right now into northern Gaza as part of the conditions that Hamas had. I think when the administration says they know every detail and then tell you that they don’t even know if they are alive, that is very concerning,” Turner said.
“It’s been very curious that the administration is so quick to claim this as a Biden deal, and as you just heard from Jake Sullivan, he continues to say we know every detail, but then he can’t answer those questions as to those details,” Turner said.
Turner believed receiving information on the status of the hostages and how many the terrorist groups have should have been conditions of the deal, similar to how Hamas made allowing aid into northern Gaza a condition.
He also emphasized how “hostage” does not describe what those held by Hamas have dealt with for the past several weeks, pointing out that the hostages were captured from their homes in Israel.
“They witnessed the brutal murdering of their families, neighbors, and friends and then were taken, kidnapped from their homes into Gaza, and they’ve been held in brutal conditions, and as we know, some of the hostages have been killed. So I’m certain these hostages, these individuals that have been kidnapped and are being released, went through a very brutal time,” Turner added.
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Sullivan said earlier they had reason to believe at least one American held hostage in Gaza would be freed on Sunday.
The ceasefire between terrorist groups in Gaza and Israel entered its third day on Sunday, with the terrorist groups agreeing to release 50 hostages in exchange for humanitarian aid. The deal was brokered last week and remains fragile, with several bumps in its implementation.
