WASHINGTON:
Israel and Hamas are close to reaching a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip, a White House official said Wednesday.
“There is a good proposal before both sides, and they need to both accept that proposal so we can get this in place.
“We are as close as we think we have ever been,” National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby told the reporters.
The US believes that both sides “need to do a final bit of work” to get to a conclusion, he added.
US President Joe Biden said May 31 that Israel presented a three-phase deal that would end hostilities in Gaza and secure the release of hostages in the coastal enclave. The plan includes a cease-fire, a hostage-prisoner exchange and the reconstruction of Gaza.
Around 39,600 Palestinians have been killed in nearly 10 months since Israel launched a brutal onslaught against Gaza that began Oct. 7 following an attack by the Palestinian resistance group, Hamas.
The assault has sparked increased regional tensions, with the latest escalation occurring last Wednesday when Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated in the Iranian capital Tehran, one day after an Israeli strike in a suburb of Beirut killed a senior military commander from the Lebanese group, Hezbollah.
Kirby said the US is engaged in “intense diplomacy” to prevent a broader escalation in the Middle East and is watching events between Iran and Israel “extremely closely.”
Reiterating that the US does not want to see the conflict escalate, Kirby said Washington has transferred “significant capabilities” to the region and will defend Israel if it is attacked.
“If Iran moves forward, as they have repeatedly said that ‘they’re going to’, we’re going to make sure we’re ready to defend Israel on our own interests, and we believe that the force posture adjustments ordered by the president and directed by the secretary of defense (Lloyd Austin) put us in a good position to do that,” Kirby said.
The Pentagon announced on Friday that the US will deploy additional military assets to the Middle East ahead of possible retaliation by Iran against Israel.
