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National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan announced on Sunday that nine American citizens and one green card holder are still unaccounted for following the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7.

During his appearance on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Sullivan expressed uncertainty about the status of these individuals but confirmed that the US is deeply involved in “active, intensive negotiations” to secure their release. “We currently have nine Americans who are missing, one green-card holder who is missing. We don’t know the status – whether they are alive or whether they have passed away – but we are looking to get the safe recovery of all of those individuals,” Sullivan stated to CNN’s Dana Bash.

Sullivan did not provide details on how close the US is to reaching an agreement for the release of the hostages, which number approximately 240. He explained that the negotiations are complex and involve multiple countries, including Israel, Qatar, Egypt, and the United States. “I don’t want to predict how close we are because I have thought we have been close before, and we haven’t quite gotten there,” he said.