White House: Hamas Has Not Given Response To Hostage Deal

Wires carrying comments from White House National Security Council spokesperson stating, “Hamas has not yet given response to Israeli proposal for hostage deal.” The comments are the latest in a back and forth between the US/Israel and Hamas, accusing the other of holding up the ceasefire deal.

• Kirby: “Biden thinks deal on table is best chance to get hostages out, end hostilities,” adding that Biden, “will continue to work with [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu to try to get proposal over finish line," and Biden and Netanyahu, “will talk again as appropriate.”
• Kirby’s comments are likely designed to contain fallout from a widely reported Time magazine interview, where Biden said "there is every reason for people" to conclude that Netanyahu is prolonging the war in Gaza for personal political reasons.
• Biden told Time his biggest disagreement with Netanyahu is about the future governance of Gaza: "There needs to be a transition to a two-state solution. And that's my biggest disagreement with Bibi Netanyahu. I think there is a clear path for a transition where the Arab states would provide security and reconstruction in Gaza in return [transition to a two-state solution].”
• The House of Representative will vote today on a Republican bill that would sanction members of the International Criminal Court if they pursue arrest warrants against Israeli government officials.
• The White House said in a Statement of Administration Policy opposing the bill it is, "deeply concerned" about a "rush to apply for arrest warrants" but "opposes the imposition of sanctions against the ICC…”