The US is still pursuing a hostage deal, a spokesperson for the State Department said on Monday.
Spokesperson Matthew Miller said there's an "incredibly significant" proposal that last week went from the US, Egypt, Qatar, and Israel to Hamas. He said Israel moved a "significant way" in submitting that proposal.
"There's a deal on the table that would achieve much of what Hamas claims it wants to achieve. And they have not taken that deal," Miller said. "Now, they can speak for themselves about why they haven't taken that deal. But the bottom line is they have rejected it."
Hamas' rejection of the deal is preventing a ceasefire
If Hamas did accept the deal, it would allow for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza of at least six weeks that would benefit the Palestinian people they claim to represent, Miller said. It would also allow the US to continue the improvements in the delivery of humanitarian assistance that have been seen over the past week.
"Those improvements have been significant and are ongoing, but if you didn't have active ongoing hostilities, the US and other partners could do even more to bring humanitarian assistance in.
"The bottom line is Hamas needs to take that deal. And they need to explain to the world and to the Palestinian people why they aren't taking it," Miller said. "Because it is Hamas right now that is the barrier and the obstacle to a ceasefire in Gaza."