CIA chief: Hostage talks are quite serious, giving us a chance for a deal in next 2 weeks

CIA Director William Burns says the Israeli hostages and Palestinian civilians are all living in “hellish conditions” in Gaza right now, adding urgency to the ongoing ceasefire negotiations in which he is involved on behalf of the United States.

Burns is asked in an interview on NPR’s ‘All Things Considered,’ who is to blame for the lack of a ceasefire deal to date.

While Biden on Thursday blamed Hamas, Burns avoids doing so and sidesteps the question entirely.

“At this point, I still think there’s a chance [for a deal, but] I’ve learned the hard way not to get my hopes up,” he begins.

“We’ll certainly — in this administration — work very hard at that right up until January 20, and I think the coordination with the new administration on this issue has been good.”

“The thing that I always remember is that this is not just an abstraction… It’s about human beings. It’s about hostages held in hellish conditions. It’s about their families with whom I meet regularly,” he continues. “And it’s about Gazan civilians who are also in hellish conditions right now and suffering terribly, especially through this winter.”

“There’s every reason for political leaders to recognize that enough is enough, that perfect is rarely on the menu in the Middle East. and that it’s time to make a deal,” Burns adds.

“Negotiations going on right now are quite serious and do offer the possibility, at least, of getting this done in the next couple of weeks,” he says.