Biden's team to help Trump with hostage release deal in Gaza - White House
White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby (photo: Getty Images)
The Biden administration is closely cooperating with the new administration of Donald Trump to reach an agreement on the release of hostages in the Gaza Strip. This will help the new president and his team expedite the deal, states White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby.
"The American people have every right to expect that we would make sure the incoming team is fully informed, and if we don’t get this deal before we leave, then when they walk in the door at noon on January 20, they can hit the ground running and try to close it for themselves," Kirby said during a press briefing.
However, he noted, the current administration remains at the negotiating table, and White House Middle East representative Brett McGurk is currently representing the US in Doha (Qatar).
Israel-Hamas negotiations
On October 7, 2023, militants of the Palestinian Islamic movement Hamas infiltrated Israel from the Gaza Strip and took 251 people hostage. Israeli authorities have confirmed that, as of today, around half of the hostages are still alive.
Since May 2024, Israel and Hamas have been negotiating a ceasefire and mutual hostage release. Qatar and Egypt are acting as mediators in the talks. However, the process has been difficult and has not yet been successful.
At the end of December, both sides accused each other of delaying the ceasefire.
On January 3, negotiations resumed in Doha (Qatar).
On January 6, Hamas announced that a list of hostages for exchange had been formed, but Israel had not received any draft agreements.
