JUST IN: State Department Reacts To Reports That Deal To Release Hostages Held By Hamas Is 'Closer' Than Ever

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During a State Department press briefing, Spokesperson Matt Miller was asked about reports that a deal is close for Hamas to release hostages captured during the attacks on October 7th.

Transcript

00:00 Thank you.

00:01 So on the hostage deal, you're saying it's closer now than it has been.

00:06 Can you explain a little bit, like without getting into details, because I know you can't,

00:09 why this shift in messaging, why you feel that you're closer now than you have been?

00:14 I really can't get into details.

00:16 As we've said publicly for some time, really since October 7th, and since we found out

00:21 that there were hostages, including American citizens who were taken, unfortunately, we

00:25 are doing everything in our power to secure the release of those hostages and see their

00:28 safe return home, but it's just not productive to talk about the details.

00:32 We have been engaged in intense negotiations over this matter.

00:35 The Secretary's been involved, the President has been involved, other members of the administration

00:39 have, and we have made progress in trying to secure a deal in conversation with our

00:45 Qatari partners, and of course in conversation with the government of Israel, but I can't

00:49 speak to the underlying details of those negotiations.

00:53 Do you have any sense of whether Americans will be included in any release?

00:57 Again, that is our priority.

00:59 We obviously want to see those American citizens who we know have been taken hostage return

01:03 home, but I just don't want to speak to any of the details of the negotiations.

01:06 And where do talks on a pause stand with Israel?

01:10 We continue to have negotiations about, and discussions with the government of Israel

01:13 about a full range of humanitarian issues.

01:16 As the President has said, as the Secretary has said, we want to see longer pauses.

01:20 We want to see more humanitarian assistance go in.

01:23 You saw the government of Israel announce on Friday an agreement to allow more fuel,

01:27 to allow fuel to come in through Rafah Gate, really for the first time, up to 140,000 liters

01:32 every 48 hours to power telecoms in Gaza so people can communicate with each other, so

01:39 they can call emergency services so we can communicate with the American citizens who

01:42 are there, to power the delivery of humanitarian assistance that's been coming in, and of course

01:47 to power desalinization and hospitals and other electric needs.

01:52 And we continue to push for all of those things.

01:54 It's a top priority for the United States.

01:56 If I could just ask one more on the Karim Shalom border crossing.

02:00 Martin Griffiths has called for that to be opened, and can you let us know where that

02:04 stands on talks with Israelis with that?

02:06 Is that something you're trying to get open?

02:08 So we want to see more humanitarian assistance come in through, into Gaza.

02:12 There are a number of ways in which more assistance could come in.

02:16 It's not just a question of opening another gate.

02:19 It could be getting more assistance in through Rafah Gate.

02:21 The Israelis have very real security concerns about the ability to open Karim Shalom, but

02:27 we think if, actually, if you could increase the screening so you could get more trucks

02:32 and more assistance in through Rafah, that would be another way to do it.

02:35 So we continue to have those conversations with Israel about what the best way is.

02:38 But ultimately our goal is to increase the number of trucks that are coming in so more

02:42 food, more water, more medicine is getting to the Palestinian people who need it.

02:46 Can I follow up on that?

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