A person from the US state department said to the BBC that the US does not want a ceasefire that would let Hamas take a break and prepare themselves to launch more attacks on Israel.
Matthew Miller said that aside from the attacks on Israel on October 7th, Hamas has been shooting rockets every day, including today and yesterday, at innocent people in Israel.
“He said we would not agree to a ceasefire that lets them keep doing those operations. ”
I think it’s important for parties involved to support and consider having short breaks in fighting so aid can be delivered to those in need. Miller said that they put in a lot of effort to open the Rafah gate in southern Gaza. He was talking about the agreement made by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken during his recent visit to Israel.
When Miller was asked about news that about 50 people being held by Hamas in Gaza were killed during the Israeli airstrikes, he did not say if any Americans were among the people who were killed.
The BBC cannot confirm on its own whether or not Hamas’s statements about the deaths of hostages are true.
Miller said to the BBC that we are unsure about the condition of the people being held as hostages. He also mentioned that Qatar has done important work to free two Americans this week.