Kirby: "The Gaps Are Narrowing" On Israel-Hamas Hostage Deal

White House National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby has told reporters he is confident that negotiators in Qatar can reach a hostage deal to facilitate a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

• Kirby: "The discussions are still happening... its a good sign. I don't wanna get too sanguine here, nothing's negotiated until it's negotiated but we do believe the gaps are narrowing."
• Kirby refuses to be drawn on what "tools" President Biden could use, like withholding military aid, to prevent Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from launching a ground operation in the Gazan city of Rafah. Kirby says that no operation has yet begun and the US hopes to provide viable alternative options to an Israeli delegation in Washington next week.
• On reports that the US has urged Ukraine to stop attacks on Russian energy infrastructure to prevent a spike in oil prices, Kirby sidesteps the question entirely, saying: "We do not encourage or enable the Ukrainian military to conduct strikes inside Russia."
• On Venezuela, Kirby says the US is "deeply concerned" by the arrests of two people connected with opposition leader Maria Corina Machado but says the US is "still willing to consider sanctions relief" on the Maduro regime in April, "if they meet the obligations they made in the fall in Barbados." Kirby adds: "Reports of arrests like this certainly give us pause to think about how serious they are about meeting those obligations."