In a segment of an interview with PBS NewsHour foreign affairs and defense correspondent Nick Shifrin conducted on Sunday and aired Monday, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said that while some of Hamas’ proposals for a ceasefire agreement were “not consistent with what’s been put forward by the UN Security Council or what’s been put forward by President Biden in his speech,” he said it was “understandable.” He added that “we now need to have more discussions, close the remaining gaps and come to a conclusion.”
Sullivan said, “Now Hamas has brought up changes to the agreement. They’re not wording it exactly as you just said, but they are certainly seeking to move from phase one to phase two, a transition that would give them a sense that hostilities are actually ending for good. Now…”
Shiffrin then interjected, asking: “Was it dead on arrival or is that a possibility?”
Sullivan responded: “In my view, this is a negotiation. Israel has approved the submission of a proposal. Hamas has brought elements that, in our view, are understandable and not unexpected, and elements that are not in line with what has been put forward by the UN Security Council and what has been put forward by President Biden’s speech. Now we need to negotiate, fill in the remaining gaps and reach a conclusion.”
Sullivan then added, “I am concerned that Sinwar and other Hamas leaders are making crude and cynical calculations over innocent Palestinian lives. I think the best way to demonstrate that they actually care about the lives and well-being of Palestinian civilians is to agree to a cease-fire,” which he said would go into effect if Hamas accepted the Israeli-backed offer.
to follow Ian Hanchett’s Twitter Ian Hanchett
