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Friday, April 19, 2024
CIA chief blames deadlock in hostage talks on Hamas for rejecting mediators’ latest proposal
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleJacob Magid is The Times of Israel's US bureau chief
CIA chief Bill Burns placed the blame on Hamas for the latest deadlock on the hostage negotiations, saying the terror group rejected the latest proposal crafted by US, Qatari and Egyptian mediators.
“It was a deep disappointment to get a negative reaction from Hamas,” Burns said at an event at the George W. Bush Presidential Center in Dallas.
“Right now, it’s that negative reaction that really is standing in the way of innocent civilians in Gaza getting humanitarian relief that they so desperately need,” he says in rare public comments.
Burns said he could not guarantee that the talks will succeed.
“And it breaks your heart because you can see in very human terms what’s at stake here as well,” he says.
The Times of Israel Community.