State Department Spox: We 'Believe A Hostage Deal Is The Best Way' To Stop Full Operation In Rafah

4 months ago

During a press briefing on Tuesday, State Department Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel answered reporter questions on Israel's operation in Rafah.

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Transcript

00:00 - The Qatari Prime Minister today,

00:05 I'm sure you saw his comments,

00:06 but he was quite downbeat on the prospects

00:08 for further negotiations and was blaming

00:10 Israeli actions and words going to Rafa.

00:13 I mean, do you still believe that talks are possible?

00:16 Do you think, is diplomacy ongoing on this?

00:18 - So we continue to believe that a hostage deal

00:21 is the best way to save the lives of the hostages,

00:24 avoid a full-scale military operation

00:27 where more than a million people are sheltering.

00:29 And despite reports of the contrary,

00:33 talks continue to be ongoing.

00:35 And we're continuing to do everything we can

00:39 to focus on getting these conversations done.

00:43 Look, to take a step back,

00:45 we've long said that a ceasefire that is coupled

00:48 with a deal to release all hostages,

00:51 one that is coupled with the additional flow

00:53 of humanitarian aid is something that can help

00:56 create the space for additional diplomacy in the region.

01:00 - And when you say talks are ongoing,

01:01 does that mean like in virtual form or?

01:03 - I'm just not gonna speak to the specifics.

01:06 - Can I ask you one other thing about Gaza?

01:08 - Sure.

01:08 - There's some attention yesterday's statements

01:10 by the deputy secretary regarding Israel.

01:14 He was speaking in Florida, Kurt Campbell saying that

01:16 Israelis talk of sweeping victory in the battlefield,

01:22 total victory.

01:23 I don't think we believe that is likely or possible.

01:25 Now, the day before the secretary,

01:28 Secretary Blinken, he said in one of the talk shows

01:30 that it's perhaps not possible for Israel

01:33 to eliminate all of Hamas.

01:35 Are they saying the same thing?

01:37 I mean, Deputy Secretary Campbell's remarks

01:39 might have implied that perhaps there's not a possibility

01:43 of victory in some form by Israel.

01:44 Can you clarify what?

01:45 - So what Secretary Blinken

01:48 and also Deputy Secretary Campbell are talking about

01:52 to take a bit of a step back,

01:54 the president and this administration have been clear

01:56 that the US wants to see Hamas defeated

01:59 and we wanna see justice delivered

02:01 as it relates to the perpetrators

02:02 of the October 7th terrorist attacks.

02:05 There can be no equivocation on that.

02:08 But while of course military pressure is necessary,

02:12 it is not the only sufficient thing to fully defeat Hamas.

02:16 If Israel's efforts are not accompanied by a political plan

02:22 for the future of Gaza,

02:23 for the future of the Palestinian people,

02:25 the terrorists will keep coming back

02:28 and Israel will continue to remain under threat

02:30 and we will continue to find ourselves

02:32 in this continued cycle of violence.

02:36 So what the secretary, the deputy secretary

02:38 are talking about how Israel has a responsibility

02:42 to connect their military operation

02:44 to a clear strategic end game

02:46 about a holistic, integrated strategy

02:49 to ensure the lasting defeat of Hamas

02:52 and for a better alternative future for Gaza,

02:55 one that is consistent with the principles

02:57 that the secretary laid out in Tokyo.

03:00 We're talking about things like a Gaza reunited

03:03 under the Palestinian Authority,

03:05 a Gaza that is not under the control of Hamas

03:08 and can no longer be a springboard for terrorism

03:12 against the Israeli people.

03:14 And we are talking about a region

03:17 that in our hope has a negotiated two state solution

03:21 that is reflective of the will

03:23 of the Israeli and Palestinian people.

03:25 That's what we're talking about here.

03:27 - I have some things on other topics, but I imagine.

State Department Spox: We 'Believe A Hostage Deal Is The Best Way' To Stop Full Operation In Rafah

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