CNN
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John Kirby, the spokesman for the US Nationwide Safety Council, issued a stark rebuke Friday of the Israeli finance minister over feedback undercutting a ceasefire proposal between Israel and Hamas, calling Bezalel Smotrich’s feedback “lifeless mistaken.”
“Some critics, like Mr. Smotrich, for instance, have claimed that the hostage deal is a give up to Hamas, or that hostages shouldn’t be exchanged for prisoners,” Kirby mentioned. “Mr. Smotrich basically means that the battle should go on indefinitely with out pause and with the lives of the hostages of no actual concern in any respect – his arguments are lifeless mistaken. They’re deceptive the Israeli public.”
In a publish Friday, Smotrich known as the proposed ceasefire deal a “give up deal,” writing on social media platform X, “I name on the Prime Minister to not fall into this lure and to not comply with a shift, even the slightest, from the purple traces he set only recently, and they’re additionally very problematic.”
Smotrich’s feedback adopted President Joe Biden and the leaders of Qatar and Egypt releasing a joint assertion Thursday calling on representatives from Israel and Hamas to renew ceasefire talks on August 15 in Doha or Cairo.
The workplace of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed Israel will ship a delegation to the talks. Hamas has but to state publicly whether or not they are going to take part.
The alternate additionally comes amid the specter of retaliatory strikes in opposition to Israel after a pair of excessive profile assassinations in Lebanon and Iran in current weeks. Israel final week killed the top military commander for Hezbollah, Fu’advert Shukr, in Lebanon. The following day, Israel is broadly believed to have assassinated Hamas’ political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran. Israel has neither confirmed nor denied its involvement in that incident.
On Friday, Kirby blasted the far-right Israeli finance minister for the feedback, saying following Smotrich’s rhetoric “would actually sacrifice the lives of Israeli hostages – his personal countrymen, and American hostages as nicely – and flies within the face of the nationwide safety pursuits of Israel at this essential stage of the battle.”
“He’s saying this as President Biden is definitely directing the US navy to the Center East to instantly defend Israel in opposition to a possible assault from Iran or different Iranian-backed terrorist teams,” Kirby mentioned. “The concept that he would help a deal that leaves Israel safety in danger is simply factually mistaken, it’s outrageous, it’s absurd, and anyone who is aware of President Biden and the way staunchly he’s been a defender for Israel for the whole lot of his public service should be ashamed for considering something totally different.”
Pressed on what prompted such an specific admonition of senior Israeli minister, Kirby rebuffed the concept his feedback have been out of the atypical.
“I feel a greater query is, what made Mr. Smotrich resolve, within the wake of the joint assertion put out and the help that it’s been given, not solely by different leaders, however by Israel itself, what made him resolve to place that assertion, that that outrageous and absurd assertion out,” he mentioned.
Even earlier than the joint assertion, the US has been lobbying its allies within the area for peace amid fears of an escalating battle.
Biden spoke Monday with King Abdullah of Jordan and along with his nationwide safety workforce, who outlined US navy belongings within the area, the place they’ve been deployed in anticipation of a potential assault on Israel from Iran or Hezbollah.
Biden additionally spoke Tuesday with Amir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani of Qatar and President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi of Egypt.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken additionally spoke Friday with Jordanian International Minister Ayman Safadi for the second time in per week, in keeping with a State Division readout of their name, about “efforts to calm tensions within the area.”
“The Secretary and International Minister Safadi mentioned the joint assertion by the US, Egypt, and Qatar which known as for a direct ceasefire to supply aid to each Palestinians in Gaza and the hostages and their households,” in keeping with State Division spokesperson Matthew Miller within the assertion.
The decision is Blinken’s third with Safadi because the assassination of Haniyeh was reported on July 30.
CNN’s Kayla Tausche, Alex Marquardt and Michael Conte contributed to this report.