The possibility of serious negotiations to finalize a hostage deal is still not possible, but when those talks do resume it would be on the basis of the May three-phase agreement, US National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby told reporters during a virtual briefing on Friday.
“We’re not in a position right now where serious negotiations are in the offing,” Kirby said. “f and when we can get those talks back in place, the starting point will be where we left it,” he said, referring to the three-phase talks that largely ended late in August after Hamas executed six of the captives, including Israeli-US citizen Hersh Goldberg-Polin, 23, at the end of August.
Renewed hope for hostage deal
He spoke with reporters one day after the IDF confirmed that it had killed Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar in Gaza. The United States has blamed him for the absence of talks toward a deal.
His death has prompted renewed activity to resume negotiations and sparked hope that a deal could now be reached to free the remaining 101 hostages.
