Washington:

The White House is working on a ceasefire and hostage release deal in Gaza but is “not there yet,” the US National Security Advisor told NBC on Sunday, with fighting in the conflict raging on as regional leaders meet to discuss the crisis.

“We are working actively to try to make it happen. We are engaged deeply with the key players in the region, and there is activity even today,” said Jake Sullivan, according to a transcript released by the broadcaster.

“There will be further conversations and consultations, and our hope is that we can generate a ceasefire and hostage deal, but we’re not there yet,” he added.

Sullivan’s comments came a day after Israel hit Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, days into a fragile ceasefire in its conflict with the Iran-backed group.

Addressing that conflict, Sullivan lauded the ceasefire deal and said the US was working with Lebanon’s military to ensure it was implemented “effectively.”

“We need to protect it and ensure that it is fully implemented,” he told NBC.

In an apparent reference to the Israeli strikes, Sullivan said both parties “have the right, consistent with international law, to take action in self-defense if they’re facing imminent threats.”

Speaking in Jerusalem on Sunday, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said there were “indications” progress could be made on a deal securing the release of hostages by Hamas in Gaza.

“There are signs we may see a greater degree of flexibility from Hamas as a result of circumstances that have developed, including the agreement with Lebanon,” he said.

“There is a desire to move forward on this. I hope it can progress. We are committed to the return of the hostages — it’s a responsibility we must uphold.”

Saar asserted, however, that Hamas “cannot be allowed” to continue to rule Gaza.

Speaking to US broadcaster CBS, Sullivan said US President Joe Biden was in close coordination with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government.

“He also spoke with Prime Minister Netanyahu that day (of the Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire), and Prime Minister Netanyahu told him he agreed, the time is right. The moment is now,” said Sullivan, referring to the need for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

Hamas seized 251 hostages during its October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, with 97 still being held in Gaza, including 34 who have been confirmed to be dead.

The armed group’s attack resulted in 1,207 deaths, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures.

In response, Israel launched a withering military campaign on Gaza, killing at least 44,429 there, most of them civilians, according to figures from the Hamas-run territory’s health ministry that the UN considers reliable.

Much of Gaza has been reduced to rubble, with its population dependent on humanitarian aid that the UN on Sunday said it would pause delivery of through the key Kerem Shalom crossing due to security concerns.

Speaking to CBS on Sunday, Sullivan said the humanitarian situation in Gaza was a “crisis” and that famine was “constantly stalking” the territory.

“You have too many people who are suffering from shortages of food, water, medicine, access to sanitation. Innocent people who deserve a measure of peace and deserve access to all of those life-saving supplies in abundance,” he said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Washington:

A temporary US aid pier has again been removed from the Gaza coast due to high seas and will be towed to an Israeli port, the Pentagon said on Friday.

It is the third time the pier has been detached from the shore because of weather conditions since its initial installation in mid-May, and the effort is also facing difficulties with distribution of assistance once it reaches Gaza.

“Due to high sea states expected this weekend, Central Command has removed the temporary pier from its anchored position in Gaza and will tow it back to Ashdod, Israel,” Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh told journalists, referring to the military command responsible for the Middle East.

She said she does not have a date for the pier’s reinstallation, and that “the commander will continue to assess the sea states over the weekend.”

The pier was first anchored to the Gaza coast in mid-May, but was damaged by bad weather later in the month and had to be removed for repairs.

It was then reattached on June 7, but was moved to Ashdod on June 14 to protect it from anticipated high seas — a situation that is now being repeated.

When the pier has been operational, it has been used to deliver a large amount of aid to the shore.

“Since May 17, Central Command has assisted in the delivery of more than 8,831 metric tons, or approximately 19.4 million pounds, of humanitarian aid to the shore for onward distribution by humanitarian organizations,” Singh said.

But distribution has been a problem, with the UN World Food Program suspending its deliveries of assistance that arrive via the pier earlier this month to assess the security situation.

The move came after Israel conducted a military operation nearby that freed four hostages, but which Hamas-run Gaza’s health ministry said killed more than 270 Palestinians.

As a result, aid is piling up in the marshalling yard where it is delivered onshore.

“There’s still some room there, but it’s, I would say majority is pretty full right now,” Singh said.

Gaza is suffering through a war which broke out after Hamas’s unprecedented October 7 attack on Israel that resulted in the deaths of 1,195 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli figures.

The operatives also seized hostages, 116 of whom remain in Gaza although the army says 42 are dead.

Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed at least 37,765 people, also mostly civilians, according to data from the health ministry in Gaza.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)