US President Joe Biden raised the issue of the American hostages being held in Gaza during his meeting at the White House with President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday , US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters.
Asked if he sees any room for cooperation or coordination between the BIden and Trump teams to try to get a deal before Biden leaves office, Sullivan replied, “Yes, of course, we’re prepared to work with the incoming team in common cause on a bipartisan basis to do everything in our collective American power to secure the release of the hostages, both living and deceased.”
He added, “We are open to have that engagement, have that collaboration, and we will continue to work in every remaining day that President Biden has in office, that we have in these jobs to try to bring those — those hostages home to their loved ones.”
Sullivan also said that the Biden administration has “sent a signal to the incoming team that we’re prepared to work with them on this issue, as with every other issue, because President Biden’s cardinal direction to us is [to] ensure a smooth and orderly transition.”
After meeting Trump, Biden on Wednesday also met with the families of the American hostages.
In a statement following the meeting, the White House said that the President “provided an update on US efforts to secure the release of all hostages, and reaffirmed the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to getting the hostages home to their loved ones and families.”
“The Administration has worked tirelessly to get a deal done as soon as possible to bring the hostages home, and the President also assured the families those efforts will continue,” the statement added.
On Tuesday, the families of the American hostages in Gaza met with Sullivan to discuss the Biden administration's efforts to secure the release of the remaining 101 hostages, including seven Americans, in their remaining days in office.
During the meeting, the families expressed their gratitude for the administration’s support since the October 7 attacks. They also urged the Biden administration to work with President-elect Trump and his transition team to commit all available time and resources to finalize a hostage deal that brings all hostages home before President Biden's term ends.
Also on Tuesday, State Department spokesman Vedant Patel told reporters that the Biden administration continues to pursue efforts to reach a Gaza ceasefire deal, despite key mediator Qatar suspending its involvement.
"We're continuing to pursue a number of initiatives to secure the release of hostages. That work is ongoing. We have not given up hope," said Patel.
"It's critical to us to get a deal done as soon as possible, especially so that we can bring the remaining hostages home to their families," he added.
Sullivan made clear on Sunday, during an appearance on CBS News' Face the Nation, that Hamas was at fault for the failure of the negotiations and not Israel.