US ‘encouraged’ by Israel sending hostage negotiating team to Doha; no breakthroughs to announce

White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby praises Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s recently announced decision to dispatch a mid-level negotiating team to Doha today for follow-up hostage talks.

“We welcome Israel’s decision… [and] think that that’s an encouraging step,” Kirby says during a briefing with reporters.

While Kirby stresses that an agreement “is both urgent and possible,” he acknowledges that there is no breakthrough in the talks to report.

He again lays the onus on Hamas to end the war by agreeing to a ceasefire and hostage release deal.

Arab mediators have avoided publicly placing the blame on either side, while privately arguing that Netanyahu’s refusal to end the war in exchange for the release of all hostages is the main obstacle to a deal.