CBS News
NSA Jake Sullivan says “there could be a cease-fire tomorrow” if “Hamas would say yes to the deal”
Washington — National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said Sunday that “now is the moment” for a cease-fire in the war in Gaza, urging Hamas to accept a deal with Israel.
“There could be a cease-fire tomorrow, today even, if Hamas would say yes to the deal,” Sullivan said Sunday on “Face the Nation.”
Negotiators from the U.S., Qatar and Egypt have been working toward an agreement between Israel and Hamas that would start to bring an end to the war. Meanwhile, four Israeli hostages taken by Hamas were rescued by Israeli security forces during a raid in central Gaza on Saturday, which came with U.S. support, mainly in the form of intelligence. And negotiations are ongoing for the remaining hostages’ release, which include five U.S. citizens.
Sullvan said that the “most effective, certain and right way” to return all of the hostages is with a “comprehensive cease-fire and hostage deal” that President Biden has highlighted in recent days and Israel has accepted.
CBS News
“If Hamas would say yes to that deal, there would be a cease-fire in place, hostages would be coming home, more humanitarian aid would be surging in, and a better day for the Palestinian people would begin to unfold,” Sullivan said. “So what we would like to see is for that deal to get into place, because it is the surest way to get the hostages home.”
But there have been accusations that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is the holdout to a deal, which Mr. Biden acknowledged in a recent interview with Time. When asked whether Netanyahu is prolonging the conflict for political purposes, the president answered that “there is every reason for people to draw that conclusion.”
The latest offer would involve releasing vulnerable hostages and Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli detention facilities, coupled with a six-week cessation of violence and a surge of humanitarian aid.
Mr. Biden outlined the proposal late last month, which he said is “a roadmap to an enduring cease-fire and the release of all hostages.” More broadly, the proposal would have three phases, with the later phases including negotiating a permanent end to hostilities and the initiation of a major reconstruction plan for Gaza.
When asked whether the raid that returned the four Israeli hostages could imperil the chances of any diplomatic agreement, Sullivan said he couldn’t predict Hamas’ calculus, but urged that “the whole world is looking to Hamas to say yes, because for all those people, for all these months who have been calling for a cease-fire, now is the moment.” In the operation that led to the return of the four hostages, the Hamas-run government media office in Gaza said 246 Palestinians were killed and over 400 were injured.
“There is only one answer to all of this, and it’s the answer I keep coming back to, which is a cease-fire and hostage deal that would end the suffering, end the conflict, end the war, and bring all of the hostages home,” Sullivan said. “So it’s time for Hamas to come to the table, say yes, and let’s end all of the suffering that is taking place in Gaza right now.”
The developments come as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to address a joint meeting of Congress on July 24. Sullivan said he’s hopeful that by the time that happens, a cease-fire and hostage deal will be in place.
NEW YORK — Former New York Gov. David Paterson and his stepson were attacked in New York City on Friday night, authorities said.
The incident occurred just before 9 p.m. on Second Avenue near East 96th Street on the Upper East Side, according to the New York City Police Department.
Police said officers were sent to the scene after an assault was reported. When officers arrived, police say they found a 20-year-old man suffering from facial injuries and a 70-year-old man who had head pain. Both victims were taken to a local hospital in stable condition.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the former governor said the two were attacked while “taking a walk around the block near their home by some individuals that had a previous interaction with his stepson.”
The spokesperson said that they were injured “but were able to fight off their attackers.”
Both were taken to Cornell Hospital “as a precaution,” he added.
Police said no arrests have been made and the investigation is ongoing.
The 70-year-old Paterson, a Democrat, served as governor from 2008 to 2010, stepping into the post after the resignation of Eliot Spitzer following his prostitution scandal. He made history at the time as the state’s first-ever Black and legally blind governor.
Watch CBS News
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.
A 17-year-old boy was critically injured and a person is in custody after a gunman opened fire on a SEPTA bus in North Philadelphia Friday evening, police said.
At around 6:15 p.m., Philadelphia police were notified about a shooting on a SEPTA bus traveling on Allegheny Avenue near 3rd and 4th streets in North Philadelphia, Inspector D F Pace told CBS News Philadelphia.
There were an estimated 30 people on the bus at the time of the shooting, Pace said, but only the 17-year-old boy was believed to have been shot. Investigators said they believe it was a targeted attack on the teenager and that he was shot in the back of the bus at close range.
According to Pace, the SEPTA bus driver alerted a control center about the shooting, which then relayed the message to Philadelphia police, who responded to the scene shortly.
Officers arrived at the scene and found at least one spent shell casing and blood on the bus, but no shooting victim, Pace said. Investigators later discovered the 17-year-old had been taken to Temple University Hospital where he is said to be in critical condition, according to police.
CBS Philadelphia
Through their preliminary investigation, police learned those involved in the SEPTA shooting may have fled in a silver-colored Kia.
Authorities then found a car matching the description of the Kia speeding in the area and a pursuit began, Pace said. Police got help from a PPD helicopter as they followed the Kia, which ended up crashing at 5th and Greenwood streets in East Mount Airy. Pace said the Kia crashed into a parked car.
The driver of the crashed car ran away but police were still able to take them into custody, Pace said.
Investigators believe there was a second person involved in the shooting who ran from the car before it crashed. Police said they believe this person escaped near Allegheny Avenue and 4th Street, leaving a coat behind.
According to Pace, police also found a gun and a group of spent shell casings believed to be involved in the shooting in the same area.
“It’s very possible that there may have been a shooting inside the bus and also shots fired from outside of the bus toward the bus,” Pace said, “We’re still trying to piece all that together at this time.”
This is an active investigation and police are reviewing surveillance footage from the SEPTA bus.