The U.S. authorities is making an intense effort to steer Israel and Hamas to renew negotiations to allow them to as soon as once more pause hostilities and change extra prisoners for hostages, a White Home spokesman mentioned on Sunday.
“We’re nonetheless working it actually arduous, hour by hour, to see if we will get the perimeters again to the desk and see if we will get one thing transferring,” John F. Kirby, the strategic communications coordinator on the White Home Nationwide Safety Council, mentioned on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “We wish that to occur in the present day. However actually, I simply don’t know.”
In appearances on a number of Sunday speak reveals, Mr. Kirby emphasised that Hamas was responsible for the breakdown in talks, saying that it had not lived as much as the phrases of its authentic settlement to start handing over captives held in Gaza.
He mentioned Hamas had failed to supply a listing of girls and youngsters who may very well be launched along with the 105 hostages who have been freed throughout the authentic pause in combating. Amongst these nonetheless held are eight or 9 Individuals. Osama Hamdan, a consultant for Hamas in Lebanon, mentioned on Sunday that negotiations over the hostages wouldn’t resume till the Israeli assault stopped.
Israel has since resumed its assaults on Hamas, and Mr. Kirby urged it to keep away from civilian casualties, whereas crediting its forces with making efforts to take action. He mentioned Israeli authorities had been open to U.S. recommendation about how you can make their assault extra exact.
“We imagine that they’ve been receptive to our messages right here when it comes to attempting to attenuate civilian casualties,” he mentioned on ABC’s “This Week.” He famous that Israel had printed a map directing civilians to what it mentioned have been secure zones.
“There’s not an entire lot of recent militaries that will do this, I imply, that’s, to telegraph their punches in that means,” he mentioned. “So they’re making an effort.”
President Biden and his administration have sought to straddle a cautious line practically two months after the Oct. 7 terrorist assault by which Hamas killed an estimated 1,200 individuals in Israel and took about 240 extra hostage. Whereas supporting Israel’s proper to defend itself, the administration has additionally sought to restrain Israel from what it believes could be going too far in its response.
That led to criticism from each the left and the proper on Sunday, as some Republicans complained that Mr. Biden’s group was attempting to carry Israel again, whereas some liberal Democrats complained that it was not doing that sufficient.
Senator Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina, singled out Protection Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III. In a speech on Saturday, Mr. Austin warned that Israel ought to defend civilians in Gaza and forestall violence towards Palestinians by Jewish settlers within the West Financial institution, as a result of in any other case “you substitute a tactical victory with a strategic defeat.”
Talking on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Mr. Graham castigated Mr. Austin, a retired four-star normal who fought in Iraq. “He’s so naïve; I imply I simply misplaced all confidence on this man,” Mr. Graham mentioned.
“If we have been attacked like this, which we have been on 9/11, if anyone referred to as for us inside two months to have a cease-fire towards Al Qaeda, we’d have laughed them out of city, we’d have run them out of city,” Mr. Graham added. “Secretary Austin is telling Israel issues which might be unattainable to realize.”
Mr. Graham mentioned his answer to the hostage deadlock could be to threaten Iran, the sponsor of Hamas. “I might go to Iran and say pay attention, you must inform Hamas to let these hostages go,” he mentioned. “In the event you don’t, you’re going to begin paying a heavier worth.”
On the opposite aspect of the ideological spectrum, Consultant Pramila Jayapal, Democrat of Washington, mentioned on the identical program that the Biden administration had a accountability to cease Israel from killing so many civilians.
“America can’t be backers of this sort of indiscriminate bombing — that’s my agency perception,” she mentioned. “We should always have circumstances on army support in the identical means that we do for each different nation.”
Whereas the White Home blamed Hamas for the breakdown in hostage talks, Ms. Jayapal faulted Israel.
“Qatar has mentioned that Hamas remains to be on the desk,” she mentioned, referring to the Persian Gulf emirate that has served because the middleman for the talks. “Israel ought to nonetheless be on the desk. In reality, a number of the Israeli hostages are saying that Israel ought to nonetheless be on the desk, as a result of that is advanced negotiation and it doesn’t occur until each side are keen to come back to some type of an settlement.”
Hwaida Saad contributed reporting.
