US: Gaza hostage talks still not kicking off, starting point is May deal

The possibility of serious negotiations to finalize a hostage deal is still not possible, but when those talks do resume it would be on the basis of the May three-phase agreement, US National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby told reporters during a virtual briefing on Friday.

“We're not in a position right now where serious negotiations are in the offing,” Kirby said. “If and when we can get those talks back in place, the starting point will be where we left it,” he said, referring to the three-phase talks that largely ended late in August after Hamas executed six of the captives, including Israeli-US citizen Hersh Goldberg-Polin, 23, at the end of August.

“I could tell you today that we're getting the teams back together in Doha and we're starting afresh. That's not where we are right now,” Kirby said.

He spoke with reporters one day after the IDF confirmed that it had killed Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar in Gaza. The United States has blamed him for the absence of talks toward a deal.

His death has prompted renewed activity to resume negotiations and sparked hope that a deal could now be reached to free the remaining 101 hostages.

Blinken is expected to travel to Israel and the region next week, after visiting Germany with US President Joe Biden on Friday. He has spoken with Israeli President Isaac Herzog and the foreign ministers of Qatar and Saudi Arabia about the importance of renewing talks. Biden also spoke with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about a hostage and ceasefire fire deal.

A new offer

Netanyahu in a public statement on Thursday night opened the possibility of making individual deals with Palestinian captors in Gaza in the wake of Sinwar’s killing.

The United States, which has worked with Qatar and Egypt to mediate a deal, has focused on a more global ceasefire and hostage deal.

Kirby underscored that Sinwar, who was the mastermind of the October 7 attack in which the hostages were seized and who had ruled Gaza since 2017, has been the main stumbling block to a deal.

“Sinwar was the main obstacle to getting the ceasefire done,” he said. He refused every proposal while the Israeli compromised each and every time,, Kirby said.

Then Sinwar “found a way to stop” any progress, Kirby said.

Still, he said, “his death does provide a unique opportunity here to try to take advantage off,” Kirby said.

Hamas Gaza chief Khalil Al-Hayya threw cold water on that optimism when he said that Israeli hostages in Gaza would not be freed until "the aggression" on the besieged Palestinian enclave stops and Israeli forces withdraw.

Reuters contributed to this report.