President Joe Biden's national security adviser on Sunday acknowledged that "innocent people" were killed during the Israeli raid that rescued four hostages from Gaza — and blamed Hamas for putting them in harm's way.
Jake Sullivan told CNN host Dana Bash that American officials weren't "in a position today" to say how many people died during Israel's deadly operation in Nuseirat on Saturday.
"The Israeli Defense Forces have put out one number. The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry has put out another number," Sullivan said on CNN's "State of the Union." "But we do know this, Dana. Innocent people were tragically killed in this operation. The exact number, we don't know, but innocent people were killed. And that is heartbreaking. That is tragic."
The Gaza Health Ministry said at least 274 Palestinians, including 64 children, were killed — the number generally being reported in the American meida — and nearly 700 were wounded during the daylight raid that reportedly left mangled bodies in the streets around a marketplace and a mosque.
Israel has said it was aware of fewer than 100 Palestinian casualties, and a military spokesperson on Sunday told ABC's "This Week" that "we don't know how many casualties were caused" by Israeli air strikes and troops on the ground.
"I'd be very cautious at accepting any figures and numbers that Hamas are putting out," said retired Lt. Col. Peter Lerner.
Lerner said that Israel forces "came under fire from a 360-degree threat" that included rocket-propelled grenades and other explosive devices, mortar rounds and AK-47 fire.
"It was and is a war zone," Lerner said, addiing that "the tragedy of civilians being forced up in this is precisely because of how Hamas is battling us."
During a remote appearance from France, where the president has been participating in events to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day, Sullivan said Hamas was ultimately responsible for the civilian deaths.
"The president himself has said in recent days that the Palestinian people are going through sheer hell in this conflict because Hamas is operating in a way that puts them in the crossfire, that holds hostages right in the heart of crowded civilian areas, that puts military emplacements right in the heart of crowded civilian areas," he said.
Sullivan also said there was "only one answer to stop that from happening going forward."
And that is a "ceasefire and hostage deal that ends the military operations, brings the hostages home, and puts us in a position to give the Palestinians an opportunity for a better future for their people," he said.
About 250 people were kidnapped during the surprise attacks Hamas launched against Israel on Oct. 7, killing about 1,200 people and sparking the latest Mideast war.
About half of the hostages were released during a weeklong ceasefire in November and about 120 remain in Gaza, with 43 declared dead by Israel and at least 16 bodies recovered by Israeli troops, according to the Associated Press.
The death toll in Gaza is more than 36,700, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry, which doesn't distinguish civilians from armed fighters.
