"We're reviewing that response right now. And we're discussing it with our partners in the region," National Security Council communications director Joe Kirby said Monday. Kirby dodged a journalist's question about what exactly Hamas had agreed to in the resolution. “He won't go into that,” he said.
Kirby said, "We continue to believe that reaching an agreement is the best outcome not only for the hostages, but also for the Palestinian people. And we will never stop working toward that outcome."
Kirby said CIA chief William Burns was working to reach an agreement with the Israelis in the region. "And the last thing I want to do is say anything on this platform that's going to jeopardize that process," he said. The worst thing to do now would be to guess what Hamas's response would actually be.
Kirby described a telephone conversation between US President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday morning as "constructive". The conversation lasted for about half an hour.
"During the call, at the President's insistence, Prime Minister Netanyahu agreed to ensure that the Kerem Shalom crossing is open again for humanitarian assistance to those in need," Kirby said.
It is not yet known whether Hamas agreed to the mediator's proposal during the talks.
Regarding the expected ground attack on the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, Kirby stressed that the US government would not support an operation that would put more than 1 million people at great risk. When asked by the President whether Washington would support limited Israeli operations in Rafah, Kirby did not answer directly. However, Israel had not yet submitted plans to protect the civilian population as requested by the US.
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Kirby said, "We continue to believe that reaching an agreement is the best outcome not only for the hostages, but also for the Palestinian people. And we will never stop working toward that outcome."
Kirby said CIA chief William Burns was working to reach an agreement with the Israelis in the region. "And the last thing I want to do is say anything on this platform that's going to jeopardize that process," he said. The worst thing to do now would be to guess what Hamas's response would actually be.
Kirby described a telephone conversation between US President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday morning as "constructive". The conversation lasted for about half an hour.
"During the call, at the President's insistence, Prime Minister Netanyahu agreed to ensure that the Kerem Shalom crossing is open again for humanitarian assistance to those in need," Kirby said.
It is not yet known whether Hamas agreed to the mediator's proposal during the talks.
Regarding the expected ground attack on the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, Kirby stressed that the US government would not support an operation that would put more than 1 million people at great risk. When asked by the President whether Washington would support limited Israeli operations in Rafah, Kirby did not answer directly. However, Israel had not yet submitted plans to protect the civilian population as requested by the US.
sha/
