QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, thanks for being right here. In the final 24 hours, U.S. officers advised ABC News that there was a possible plan within the works to rescue about 50 hostages – girls and kids – from Hamas. Last night time we have been advised that negotiators have been getting nearer. President Biden has mentioned his message to the households is cling in there, we’re coming. So how shut are we to seeing any of those hostages?

SECRETARY BLINKEN: David, what I can let you know is that this. We’ve been working intensely on this from day one to attempt to carry hostages house, carry Americans house, Israelis house, the opposite nationalities who’re being held by Hamas. But having mentioned that, truthfully, the much less that I say the higher at this second as a result of we do not wish to jeopardize something that we’re doing to attempt to carry individuals house. All I can let you know is we’re centered on this intensely, and look, I’m hopeful that we are able to carry individuals house.

QUESTION: I do know you are conscious of what we’ve reported tonight – Israeli authorities asserting the physique of a 65-year-old hostage was really discovered close to al-Shifa Hospital. Do you have got any intelligence? Should the world be ready that we might study of extra hostages who haven’t survived this ordeal?

SECRETARY BLINKEN: I haven’t got the knowledge to substantiate what you have reported, however look, what we have seen from day one is Hamas endangering everybody, endangering the civilians of Gaza by embedding itself with them in hospitals, in condominium buildings, in colleges, in mosques, and naturally, endangering the hostages that it is taken by protecting them near hurt’s approach. So horrifically, that might actually be one of many outcomes.

QUESTION: Let me ask you particularly about al-Shifa Hospital. U.S. officers mentioned they noticed intelligence that really backed up what the Israelis have been claiming, that there have been tunnels below al-Shifa Hospital. I do know the Israelis are exhibiting newer photos tonight. Are you assured that there are tunnels, that there’s a command heart below that hospital, after all full of sufferers, with infants when it was stormed?

SECRETARY BLINKEN: Yes. And what we all know and based mostly on info we’ve in addition to info that the Israelis have is that this has been the follow of Hamas to make use of these civilian infrastructure, to make use of hospitals, to make use of colleges, to make use of mosques, to make use of condominium buildings to embed their very own fighters and to have command posts there, to have commanders there, to have weapons there. Already what we have seen from the operation at al-Shifa Hospital are an enormous variety of weapons that have been recovered, and you’ve got assault rifles discovered subsequent to MRI machines. So this is among the monstrous practices that Hamas engages in, and it is, as you recognize, endangered so many civilians in Gaza.

QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, as you recognize, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu advised me that after this warfare with Hamas, quote, “I think Israel will have for an indefinite period the overall security responsibility for Gaza,” that Israel can be in Gaza. Does the U.S. help this?

SECRETARY BLINKEN: We do not. We’ve been very clear that there cannot be a reoccupation by Israel of Gaza, simply as Gaza cannot proceed for use as a platform to launch terrorist assaults. We additionally —

QUESTION: Have you advised the prime minister that you do not agree with this?

SECRETARY BLINKEN: Yes, we’ve. We’ve been clear about that.

Now, there could must be a transitional interval the place their safety is supplied for Gaza. That’s one thing that we’ve to have a look at. But in relation to the way forward for Gaza, in our judgment, it needs to be below Palestinian governance and there needs to be safety supplied as effectively.

It’s crucial, in our judgment, if there may be going to be lasting peace and safety for Israelis and Palestinians alike, that we really transfer ahead on guaranteeing that the Palestinians have political rights, that they’ve the power to manipulate themselves, to make choices for their very own future in their very own state.

QUESTION: I wish to ask you about this summit with China’s President Xi. President Biden mentioned as we speak that the United States has actual variations with Beijing. He mentioned the U.S. will proceed robust diplomacy, army communications again up, progress on fentanyl, however you additionally know that President Biden was requested if President Xi is a dictator. President Biden mentioned he’s a dictator. Loads is being fabricated from your response in that second. Do you agree that President Xi is a dictator right here?

SECRETARY BLINKEN: Well, David, it is not precisely a secret to anybody that we’ve two very completely different methods. And President Biden at all times speaks candidly and he speaks for all of us. But the purpose you made a second in the past is that this summit yesterday, this assembly yesterday, produced actual, concrete outcomes for the American individuals. We have a few obligations on this relationship with China, probably the most consequential of any relationship that we’ve. We’ve received an actual competitors. We wish to be certain it does not veer into battle.

Yesterday, we received – we restored military-to-military engagement. That’s critically necessary as a result of we have had a collection of close to misses over the past 12 months the place Chinese ships, Chinese planes have been pushed or flown very dangerously near our personal.

Second, fentanyl – the primary killer of Americans aged 18 to 49. We’ve had a giant problem as a result of the chemical substances which can be used to make fentanyl, the so-called precursors, the elements, made in China by some firms, a handful of firms, then despatched over throughout the ocean to our personal hemisphere, changed into fentanyl, they arrive in and devastate our communities.

The settlement we reached with China yesterday that the President reached has China now cooperating, working with us, working with different international locations to crack down on this. And they’ve already taken motion. Not solely did they publish a discover to all of their firms that that is forbidden, they’ve really taken concrete motion to take down firms that have been engaged on this follow. This goes to have a transparent and optimistic affect on communities throughout our nation.

QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, thanks on your time.

SECRETARY BLINKEN: Good to be with you. Thanks, David.