White House says no deal between Israel and Hamas yet - spokesperson
World
"No deal yet but we continue to work hard to get a deal," Adrienne Watson, spokesperson for NSC said
WILMINGTON, Delaware (Reuters) – Israel and Hamas have not yet reached a deal on a temporary ceasefire, a White House spokesperson said on Saturday night.
The US is continuing to work to get a deal between the two sides, the spokesperson said. A second US official confirmed no deal had been reached.
The Washington Post reported earlier on Saturday night that a Qatari-brokered deal between Israel and Hamas had been reached for a five-day ceasefire in exchange for 50 or more hostages.
"No deal yet but we continue to work hard to get a deal," Adrienne Watson, spokesperson for the White House's National Security Council, said in a statement.
Israel vowed to destroy Hamas after the militant group's Oct. 7 rampage into Israel in which its fighters killed 1,200 people and took 240 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.
As the conflict entered its seventh week, authorities in Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip raised their death toll to 12,300, including 5,000 children.
Israel said that it was preparing to expand its offensive against Hamas militants to southern Gaza after air strikes killed dozens of Palestinians, including civilians reported to be sheltering at two schools.
DEAL REACHED
Israel, the United States and Hamas have reached a tentative agreement to free dozens of women and children held hostage in Gaza in exchange for a five-day pause in fighting, the Washington Post reported on Saturday, citing people familiar with the deal.
As part of the detailed, six-page agreement, all parties would freeze combat operations for at least five days while "an initial 50 or more hostages are released in smaller groups every 24 hours", the Post reported.
Hamas took about 240 hostages during its Oct. 7 rampage inside Israel that killed 1,200 people.
The newspaper said overhead surveillance would monitor ground movement to help police the pause, which also is intended to allow in a significant amount of humanitarian aid.
There was no immediate comment from the White House or the Israeli prime minister's office on the Post report.
The hostage release could begin within the next several days, according to people familiar with its the agreement.
