Biden's, Trump's national security advisors discuss Israel-Hamas War, hostages

The first meeting between Sullivan and his intended successor, who will inherit a long series of crises around the world.

By WALLA! NOVEMBER 24, 2024 08:54

Illustrative image of White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan and Mike Waltz, who President-elect Trump has appointed as his national security adviser. (photo credit: Canva, DENIS BALIBOUSE/REUTERS, REUTERS/JEENAH MOON, YONATAN SINDEL/FLASH 90)

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan met earlier this week with Republican Florida Rep. Mike Waltz, who President-elect Trump has appointed as his national security adviser, and discussed the issues of the war and the hostages in Gaza, two sources with knowledge of the meeting said.

Why it matters

The first meeting between Sullivan and his intended successor, who will inherit a long series of crises around the world, chief among them the war in the Middle East and the war in Ukraine.

Behind the scenes

• The sources said the meeting took place after Sullivan returned from President Biden's trip to South America.
• Sullivan and Waltz discussed several national security and foreign policy issues, including the war in Gaza and the issue of the hostages held by Hamas, the sources said.
• Sullivan and Waltz declined to comment.

Congressman Mike Waltz speaks on Day 1 of the Republican National Convention (RNC) at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, US, July 15, 2024. (credit: REUTERS/MIKE SEGAR)

In the news spotlight

• Ten days ago, when President Biden hosted Trump for a two-hour meeting in the Oval Office, he raised the issue of the hostages and proposed working together to push for an agreement.
• "I don't care if Trump gets all the credit as long as they come home," Biden told the families of American hostages during a meeting with them just hours after his conversation with the President-elect, according to two sources familiar with the details.

Behind the scenes

• When President Isaac Herzog called Trump to congratulate him on his election victory, he told the American President-elect that the release of 101 hostages held in Gaza is "an urgent matter," according to three individuals briefed on the conversation.
• "You need to save the hostages," Herzog told Trump, who responded by saying that, to the best of his knowledge, most of the hostages were likely dead.
• President Herzog informed Trump that Israeli intelligence services believe that about half of the hostages, approximately 50, are still alive.
• "Trump was surprised and said he wasn’t aware of this," one source familiar with the conversation stated. Two additional sources briefed on the call confirmed that Trump had expressed his belief that most of the hostages were dead.