A deal to release hostages taken from Israel during Hamas’s attacks last month is “closer than ever before”, according to a senior US official.
“We’re hopeful… but there’s still work to be done,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said.
At a separate event, US President Joe Biden also said he believed an agreement was nearing.
An estimated 240 people were kidnapped in the 7 October Hamas attacks, during which 1,200 Israelis were killed.
Since then, the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza has said 13,000 people in Gaza have been killed in the territory in Israel’s retaliatory campaign.
Hints that a deal to secure the release of hostages may be nearing have been increasing in recent days – including from Qatar, which was instrumental in securing the release of four hostages last month.
Now the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)’s president has travelled to Qatar – where hostage negotiations are being mediated and where the political leadership of Hamas is based.
In a statement, the ICRC said its president, Mirjana Spoljaric, had travelled there in order to “advance humanitarian issues” related to the conflict.
While the ICRC has stressed that it does not take part in direct negotiations leading to the release of hostages, it does help to facilitate releases once they have been agreed. So far, the group has facilitated the release of four hostages released by Hamas – a mother and daughter – who are US nationals – and two elderly Israeli women.
“As a neutral humanitarian intermediary, we remain ready to facilitate any future release that the parties to the conflict agree to,” the ICRC said.
Source: bbc.com
