White House official says Hamas participation in Doha talks in line with past rounds

Echoing comments made by an Arab official to The Times of Israel yesterday, White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby downplays Hamas’s stated declaration that it wouldn’t attend today’s hostage talk summit in Doha.

The terror group said it would instead be in touch with mediators immediately afterward, urging them to coax Israel into agreeing to its latest ceasefire proposal from last month.

“In the past, it has worked very similar[ly] to how it’s working in Doha today, where mediators will sit and discuss, work things out, and then those mediators will be in touch with Hamas, and then Hamas leaders in Doha communicate directly with Mr. Sinwar for final answers,” Kirby says in a briefing.

“The process that is playing out in Doha is very much keeping with the process that has played out in the past,” he adds.