White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters on Sept. 5 that despite another significant setback, this would not prevent efforts to reach a deal from continuing.
John Kirby reported that Hamas terrorists not only killed the hostages over the weekend, but also changed the terms of the exchange. He added that while negotiations are ongoing, no new summits are planned.
“I cannot speak to the motive for the killing of these hostages, but we continue to believe that as tragic as it was, and it certainly was, negotiations for a ceasefire can and must continue,” Kirby said.
A National Security Council official said there is now direct communication between the White House and its partners in Qatar, Egypt and Israel.
Asked whether Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was obstructing hostage negotiations with his repeated promises to remain indefinitely in the Philadelphia Corridor, Kirby replied: “The main obstacle to a ceasefire agreement is Hamas.”
Earlier, Kursor wrote that Khalil al-Hiya, a senior representative of Hamas terrorists, said that in order to reach an agreement on the release of hostages, it is necessary to ensure a complete ceasefire and the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Gaza Strip.
He also said the organisation was not interested in further mediation proposals and was demanding specific guarantees that its terms would be met.
Moreover, Cursor has already reported that negotiations for the release of the hostages held by Hamas remain stalled, despite active efforts by mediators. The United States plans to present its “final” exchange proposal to Israel and Hamas in the coming days.
