Live Update 
From the Liveblog of
Friday, August 16, 2024
From the Liveblog of
Friday, August 16, 2024
Top Biden aide dismisses comments from Hamas officials unhappy with how Doha talks went
Jacob Magid is The Times of Israel's US bureau chief
Gaza's Hamas ruler Yahya Sinwar (C) addresses supporters during a rally marking Al-Quds (Jerusalem) Day, in Gaza City, on April 14, 2023. (Mohammed ABED / AFP)
A senior US official dismisses a series of statements made by Hamas officials both on-record and anonymously in which they expressed disapproval of how the hostage talks went in Doha over the last two days.
“I know there’s a lot of public statements from Hamas right now. I wouldn’t take anything too seriously,” says the senior US official during a briefing with reporters.
The top US negotiator says Hamas is under significant pressure to reach an agreement given the severity of the humanitarian situation in Gaza. “Should Hamas say no, think about what they’re doing to the people of Gaza.”
