Washington: US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby stated that the Biden administration believes that the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas is 90 per cent agreed on, adding, “That’s how close we believe we are,” Al Jazeera reported.
“Nothing is negotiated until everything is negotiated,” Kirby said. He noted that several detailed issues remain to be resolved, adding that “that’s when things get difficult.”
“You call that optimistic. I call that accurate. That’s how close we believe we are. That’s where we have gotten to. The basic framework of the deal has been agreed to,” Kirby said.
“What we’re talking about now is the implementing details and specifically the exchange of prisoners. And now that calculus is different because of what happened over the weekend,” he said, referring to the recovery of the bodies of six captives from Gaza by Israeli forces. But he added: “Nothing is negotiated until everything is negotiated, and the things that are still in play right now are very, very detailed... issues and that’s when things get difficult.” said Kirby
Meanwhile, Hamas’ lead negotiator has urged the US to press Israel for a truce in Gaza, as per Al Jazeera.
“If the US administration and its President Biden really want to reach a ceasefire and complete a prisoner exchange deal, they must abandon their blind bias towards the Zionist occupation and exert real pressure on Netanyahu and his government,” Qatar-based Khalil al-Hayya said in a statement. He said Hamas still supports a proposal backed by Biden and a UN Security Council resolution for a ceasefire in Gaza. (ANI)
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