US officials are intently focused on trying to secure the release of hostages being held by Hamas in Gaza – among them American citizens – a task that sources said is now further complicated by Israel’s expansion of its ground operations into Gaza.
The US remains a part of the ongoing talks that include Israel, Qatar, Egypt and Hamas to get a large group of hostages out of Gaza, and officials are now contending with Israel pressing forward with ground operations into the strip. Biden administration officials have been calling on Israel to consider so-called humanitarian pauses that can allow for civilians in Gaza, including hostages, to exit, and for aid to get in.
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