NSC Communications Coordinator John Kirby responds to progressive pushback against U.S. aid to Israel on ‘FOX News Sunday.’ #foxnews

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This morning I spoke with John Kirby the National Security Council Communications Coordinator so prime minister Netanyahu Spoke overnight about the situation in Israel and when he was asked about the Role post-war of the Palestinian Authority he said this that the Palestinian Authority quote pays Murderers and educates their children to Hate Israel and to my sorrow to murder Jews and ultimately for The Disappearance of the state of Israel he Added we would be putting the same Element utterly unreformed utterly Unchanged into to Gaza is that what the Biden Administration expects Israel to Do well I think he hit it right on the Head when he talked about uh a PA that's Unreformed one of the things that Secretary blinkin uh was talking to our Israeli counterparts about when he was There was the need to reform the Palestinian Authority a revitalized Palestinian Authority that is much more Uh much more able to meet the Aspirations and the needs of the Palestinian people we agree uh that That's not the case right now What what is the plan though I I mean What would the US role be who should be Governing I mean Netanyahu has said they Don't want to occupy it they don't want To control it right so what happens next Well we agree with them on that too we

We don't want to see Israel reoccupy Gaza we don't think that that's a a Long-term strategic goal that's uh That's really achievable or wise for the Israeli people uh we believe that uh at The core the the future of governance in Gaza has got to be something that the Palestinian people have a vote in a Voice in uh that they they have they Have a governance that is truly Representative of them and their Aspirations now what exactly that looks Like Shannon we don't know but we are Asking the same questions you're asking Me of ourselves and of our partners to See what we can do in the region working Again with uh with both Israeli and Arab Partners to see what a a revitalized Reformed Palestinian Authority could Look like and could that reformed Palestinian Authority actually be able To to govern Gaza in a way that again Meets those aspirations that those are The same questions we're asking Ourselves uh we don't have firm answers Right now but uh but we don't believe It's too early uh to be looking hard at This yeah and there's a lot of probably Heartbreak and destruction between here And there as conflict and fighting has Resumed in the region there's obviously Coordinated me messaging out from the Administration this weekend about the Current strategy underway in Israel

Here's a little bit from the Secretary Of Defense here at the Reagan forum and Also the vice President the center of gravity is the Civilian Population and if you drive them into The arms of the enemy you replace a Tactical Victory with a strategic defeat No forcible displacement no Reoccupation no Siege or Blockade so the question is is that a Public message for Israel because I Imagine you're having those same Conversations privately or was that Message for the more Progressive wing of The president's own party who was saying Things like this no actually Shannon um You hit you hit it again in the first Part of your question this is a this is A consistent message that we have been Uh Tak to our Israeli counterparts Privately and of course obviously we're Talking publicly too about the same big Goals and I would tell you Shannon that And secretary blinkin talked about this Before he left Israel that the Israelis Have been receptive to those messages And just look and fr you know if we talk About civilian casualties yes they are Conducting some shaping operations for For potential moving uh operations in The South they've actually put up a map Online uh that is identified for the People of Gaza areas where they should

Not go and areas where they can go with A measure of safety now I don't know of Too many modern militaries uh that Actually take that extra step so uh they Clearly are trying to make an effort to Be more precise and more cautious here And that's of course something we've Been urging them to do literally uh from The beginning of the Conflict that's not something that a Current sitting congresswoman believes Is actually happening here's her take on What's Happening and our role in It what we are witnessing is the gross Violation of human rights in Gaza and That is being done with US military Assistance so what is your message to Her and others on the Progressive left Of the president's party who are saying These things publicly what's being done With US military and security assistance Is helping our friend and partner Israel Go after a truly genocide threat a Threat posed by Hamas and I think it's Just too easy as we get further and Further away from the 7th of October to Forget what happened on that day 1200 Israelis literally slaughtered kids in Front of their parents parents in front Of their kids um and we've got to help Israel eliminate the threat to the to The Israeli nation and Israeli people From that threat from Hamas and we're Going to keep doing that absolutely now

Look at the same time just like you and I've been talking now for a few minutes We want him to do it in in the most Careful cautious deliberate way possible How they do this matters as secretary Blinkin has said and we're continuing to Work with them and again I would stress That the Israelis have been receptive to Those messages and they have actually Altered the way they have been Conducting some of their operations now I also want to say clearly too many Thousands of individuals civilians have Been killed too many more thousands have Been wounded we have more than a million That have been internally displaced in Gaza we're not blind to the humanitarian Crisis which is why we work so hard to Get that pause in place for seven days So that we can get hostages out and get An accelerated amount of food water Medicine and fuel into Gaza so we're We're certainly working on the Humanitarian plight here but I I think We we've got to stay core to what Happened on the 7th of October and Remember the threat that the Israeli People are still facing from Hamas yeah and it's existential and and But critics of the guidance or the Conversations that we're having publicly And privately with Israel um say that The Biden Administration is making Demands that Israel cannot actually

Fulfill here's from The Wall Street Journal editor torial board if Israel Must do more to protect civilians but Can't evacuate them and can't hit Hamas When it hides in key civilian Infrastructure and safe zones how is it To fight at all Israel deserves us Support as it topples Hamas not a repeat Of Mr Biden's Ukraine treatment they say Was rules restrictions and hesitations That push a decisive Victory further Away how much of this Council that You're having privately with Israel um Requires them to pass any decisions by Us before they take them none I mean This that argument just isn't it doesn't Comport with the facts that we're L that We're laying down restrictions or sort Of redlines for Israel uh this Israel is A Sovereign Nation attacked in a brutal Way on the 7th of October they have Every right and responsibility to go After the terrorist group uh that Perpetrated those those attacks plan Them and oh by the way has made it clear They're going to do it again and do more They have every right and responsibility To go after them we would do the same Thing Any Nation would now what we have Done is talk to them share our Perspectives and our lessons learned About Urban Warfare as secretary Austin Said about not turning a tactical Victory into a strategic defeat of

Course we're going to share that that's What friends do but they're making these Decisions they're deciding the targets That they're going to hit uh we Obviously we'll continue to talk to them About being as careful and cautious as As possible we don't want to see any More innocent civilians killed and I Don't think the Wall Street Journal Wants that either uh but we we but we Are not going to stop giving them the Security assistance that they need to go After this as quite accurately put it an Existential threat to the Israeli People Now quickly I want to make sure That we ask uh how many Americans do we Think are still hostages why don't we Have them back when do we get them back Well Shannon we think the number Obviously somewhere in the neighborhood Of 8 to n probably be more like nine We're not we don't have perfect Visibility on all of those Americans so That's why we're being a little bit Careful with the uh with the specificity Of the numbers but that's kind of the Population that we believe it is um uh We we know that there's at least one of American woman who's unaccounted for we Don't know much about her her condition Where she is and I would say the same Thing unfortunately about the other Americans that are being held hostage we Just don't have perfect visibility now

We're getting some information from the Families who that who at least are Helping us understand uh why they Believe their loved ones were taken Hostage and the Israelis are also trying To flesh out some of our information but We're working at this literally by the Hour we want to get that pause put back In place so that again more hostages Come can come out I'll say this two Things if you allow me one Hamas is the Reason that the that the pause ended Because they refused to to put on the List additional women and children that We know they that they are holding and They're refusing to let go uh and two uh We are working it literally by the hour To see if we can't get this back on Track John Kirby we always appreciate Your time thank you sir yes ma'am good To be with you I'm Steve Ducey I'm Brian Kilme and I'm Angley airheart and click Here to subscribe to the Fox News YouTube page to catch our hottest Interviews and most compelling Analysis