WASHINGTON — The US sends its condolences to the families of the 21 IDF soldiers killed yesterday while operating in Gaza, says White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby.
“It was a terrible day for the IDF yesterday,” Kirby laments during a press briefing. “That’s an enormous amount of troops lost in one day and certainly our condolences go out to all the families and their teammates as well.”
Kirby says that “sober and serious” talks are taking place aimed at another hostage deal, using a new pair of adjectives to reiterate the same assertion US officials have made for months.
He later clarifies that he would only characterize the talks as “discussions,” and not “negotiations,” explaining that there is a long way to go before an agreement.
Asked about reports of a new Israeli proposal to pause fighting for up to two months in exchange for a staged release of the remaining 136 hostages, Kirby reiterates that the US would support extended pauses in the fighting, stopping short of backing for a permanent ceasefire.
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From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, January 23, 2024
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