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The White House on Monday said that negotiations aimed at securing a pause in the fighting and the release of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza have been constructive, and the deadly attack on US troops in Jordan should have no impact on that effort.
National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said that ongoing discussions are aimed at bringing about a humanitarian pause in Gaza that will allow a “large number of hostages” to be released.
But Mr Kirby added that there was still much to be done.
“We don't want to sound sanguine here, there's a lot of work left to be done,” he told reporters. “We don't have an imminent deal.”
US, Egypt, Qatari and Israeli officials held talks in France on Sunday about a possible framework for a new hostage deal.
That same day, an Iran-backed group carried out a drone attack on a military base in Jordan that killed three US troops, in a significant escalation in relations with Tehran.
President Joe Biden's administration has said it will respond to the attack, but has no desire to engage in direct conflict with Iran.
Still, the latest escalation could complicate efforts to negotiate a deal that would lead to the release of more than 100 hostages from Gaza, and with it a ceasefire that would allow the entry of much-needed humanitarian aid to the besieged enclave.
“There's no reason that – whatever our response is – for that to have an impact on our ability to try to get these hostages released,” Mr Kirby said.
“We understand there's a lot of hard work ahead and that work ahead of us diplomatically certainly, might be affected by events elsewhere – not just what happened in Jordan and what might come as a result of that – but there's no reason why it should.”
In November, mediators from the US, Qatar and Egypt were able to help negotiate a week-long pause in fighting in Gaza, during which more than 100 hostages were released in exchange for Palestinian detainees held in Israeli prisons.
But efforts to negotiate another deal have stalled following the rejection of a recent deal proposal by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Meanwhile, the majority of Gaza's 2.3 million residents have been displaced to the southern city of Khan Younis, with limited access to food, water and medical care.
On Monday, after Israeli officials met Qatari and Egyptian mediators in Paris, Hamas said that releasing hostages would require a guaranteed end to the offensive in Gaza and the withdrawal of all Israeli troops from the coastal enclave.
Hamas has also said that freeing all hostages, including Israeli soldiers, would require the release of all Palestinian political prisoners held in Israeli jails.
Pressure is mounting on Mr Biden, who is running for re-election, and on other world leaders to reach a ceasefire deal in Gaza, four months into a war that has so far killed more than 26,000 Palestinians, most of them civilians.
The Biden administration has expressed its support for Israel's stated goal of eradicating Hamas, whose attack on Israel on October 7 killed 1,200 people and triggered the war.
The years Ramadan fell in May
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Saturday, April 20: 11am to 7pm - Abu Dhabi World Jiu-Jitsu Festival and Para jiu-jitsu.
Sunday, April 21: 11am to 6pm - Abu Dhabi World Youth (female) Jiu-Jitsu Championship.
Monday, April 22: 11am to 6pm - Abu Dhabi World Youth (male) Jiu-Jitsu Championship.
Tuesday, April 23: 11am-6pm Abu Dhabi World Masters Jiu-Jitsu Championship.
Wednesday, April 24: 11am-6pm Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship.
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Friday, April 26: 3pm to 6pm Finals of the Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship.
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2006 - 2
2007 - 8
2008 - 2
2009 - MC
2010 - 21
2011 - 42
2012 - MC
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The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
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