The White House said Friday that a proposal by Hamas militants for a cease-fire deal and the release of hostages in Gaza is certainly within the realm of possibility, and expressed cautious optimism.
Hamas has presented a Gaza ceasefire proposal to mediators and the US that includes the release of Israeli hostages in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners in Israel, 100 of whom are serving life sentences, according to the proposal seen by Reuters.
White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the proposal is “certainly broadly consistent with the principles of the agreement that we’ve been working on for several months.”
“We’re cautiously optimistic” about the truce negotiations, “because things are moving in the right direction without saying it’s done,” Kirby told reporters.
The White House is asking to see Israel’s plan for the attack on Rafah
At the same time, Kirby said that the White House “would like to have the opportunity to see” the Israeli army’s plan for the attack on Rafah, which was approved by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“We will not support a plan that does not take into account the one and a half million Palestinian” refugees in this area of the southern part of the Gaza Strip, the spokesman for the US National Security Council warned again.
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