The U.S. government is making an intense effort to persuade Israel and Hamas to resume negotiations so they can once again pause hostilities and exchange more prisoners for hostages, a White House spokesman said on Sunday. John Kirby said that Hamas was to blame for the breakdown in the negotiations, saying that it had not lived up to the terms of its original agreement to begin handing over captives held in Gaza. Israel has since resumed its attacks on Hamas, and Mr. Kirby urged it to avoid civilian casualties, while crediting its forces with making efforts to do so. He said Israeli authorities had been open to U.S. advice about how to make their assault more precise.
Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/03/world/middleeast/israel-hamas-hostages-gaza.html
