The US authorities is making an intensive effort to persuade Israel and Hamas to renew negotiations to allow them to resume hostilities and trade extra prisoners for hostages, a White Home spokesman mentioned on Sunday.
“We’re nonetheless working very laborious, hour after hour, to see if we will get the events again to the desk and see if we will get one thing transferring,” mentioned John F. Kirby, the strategic communications coordinator at Nationwide Safety from the White Home. Council, mentioned on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “We wish this to occur at this time. However truthfully, I simply do not know.”
Throughout appearances on a number of speak exhibits on Sunday, Mr. Kirby insisted that Hamas was chargeable for the breakdown of the talks, saying the nation had failed to fulfill the phrases of its unique settlement to start extraditing prisoners in Gaza. He mentioned Hamas had failed to attract up a listing of ladies and youngsters to be launched, along with the 105 hostages freed in the course of the unique lull within the preventing. Among the many folks nonetheless being held are eight or 9 Individuals.
Israel has since resumed its assault on Hamas and Mr Kirby urged the nation to keep away from civilian casualties whereas crediting his forces for making efforts to take action. He mentioned Israeli authorities have been open to American recommendation on find out how to make their assault extra exact.
“We imagine they’ve been receptive to our messaging right here when it comes to minimizing civilian casualties,” he mentioned on ABC’s “This Week.” He famous that Israel had printed a map directing residents to what they believed have been protected zones.
“There aren’t many fashionable armies that may try this, I imply, telegraph their blows like that,” he mentioned. “So they’re doing their finest.”
President Biden and his administration have tried to toe a cautious line almost two months after the October 7 terrorist assault wherein Hamas killed an estimated 1,200 folks in Israel and took one other 240 hostage. Whereas it helps Israel’s proper to defend itself, the administration has additionally tried to dissuade Israel from what it believes could be going too far in its response.
That sparked criticism from each the left and proper on Sunday, as some Republicans complained that Biden’s workforce was making an attempt to cease Israel, whereas some liberal Democrats complained that it was not doing so sufficient.
Senator Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina, talked about Secretary of Protection Lloyd J. Austin III. In a speech on Saturday, Mr. Austin warned that Israel should shield civilians in Gaza and stop violence towards Palestinians by Jewish settlers within the West Financial institution or “exchange a tactical victory with a strategic defeat.”
Talking on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Mr. Graham lambasted Mr. Austin, a retired four-star normal who fought in Iraq. “He is so naive; I imply, I simply misplaced all confidence on this man,” Mr. Graham mentioned.
“If we have been attacked like that, like on September 11, if in two months somebody referred to as for us to have a ceasefire towards Al Qaeda, we’d have laughed them out of city, chased them away. out of city,” Mr. Graham added. “Secretary Austin is telling Israel issues which can be unattainable to attain.”
Mr. Graham mentioned his answer to the hostage standoff could be to threaten Iran, Hamas’s sponsor. “I’d go to Iran and say, pay attention, you must inform Hamas to let these hostages go,” he mentioned. “If you happen to do not, you are going to pay a better value.”
On the opposite finish of the ideological spectrum, Consultant Pramila Jayapal, Democrat of Washington, mentioned on the identical program that the Biden administration had a duty to stop Israel from killing so many civilians.
“America can’t assist this sort of indiscriminate bombing – that’s my agency perception,” she mentioned. “We should impose circumstances on army assist, simply as we do for another nation.”
Whereas the White Home blamed Hamas for the failure of the hostage talks, Ms. Jayapal blamed Israel.
“Qatar has mentioned that Hamas remains to be on the desk,” she mentioned, referring to the Persian Gulf emirate that has served as an middleman for the talks. “Israel nonetheless must have a seat on the desk. Some Israeli hostages even say that Israel ought to nonetheless have a seat on the desk as a result of these are difficult negotiations and can solely occur if either side are prepared to succeed in some form of settlement.”
