White House: 'We're continuing to work for a ceasefire along the lines of the Israeli proposal'

The United States has reviewed the contents of Hamas's response to the May 27 Israeli ceasefire proposal and many of Hamas's proposed changes are minor and not unanticipated, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan told reporters on Wednesday aboard Air Force One. 

Other changes differ more substantively, according to Sullivan. 

"The United States will now work with the mediators, specifically Egypt and Qatar, to bridge final gaps consistent with the President's May 31 speech and with the contents of the UN Security Council Resolution," Sullivan said. "Our aim is to bring this process to a conclusion."

Sullivan said the time for haggling is over and it's time for a ceasefire to begin and for the hostages to come home. 

Time frame remains an unknown

Sulivan would not say how long the continued negotiation process could take. 

"I would point out that in his remarks on May 31, [Biden] anticipated Hamas would come back and they would suggest some changes," Sullivan said. "And then the important thing was that all parties sit at the proverbial table here until we get to an agreement. That's what we're reinforcing today."

Sullivan said there are elements of what Hamas put forward that the White House doesn't think are consistent with what was laid out in the Security Council resolution. 

According to Sullivan, Minister Benny Gantz leaving the government has not changed Israel's support for the ceasefire proposal. 

"From our perspective, the key thing is the position of the Israeli government today and the Israeli government has continued to stand behind their proposal," Sullivan said.