US blames Hamas for end of truce

The United States put the blame on Hamas after Israeli military forces resumed bombarding the Gaza Strip with airstrikes, an end to a weeklong pause in fighting, Report informs, citing USA Today.

The White House said that Hamas failed to deliver a list of hostages the militant group would release. Meanwhile, Israel and Hamas presented conflicting narratives about why the truce ended.

“It's because of Hamas that this pause ended,” said John Kirby, the National Security Council’s coordinator for strategic communications. “They were just simply unable, failed to produce a list of hostages that could help enable that pause extending.”

President Joe Biden and the entire security council will remain engaged in negotiations, Kirby said, as the US pushes for another pause and for the release of more hostages. Qatar, another international mediator along with Egypt, said it was working to renew a truce and expressed "deep regret" over the renewed combat.

“The onus is on Hamas to be able to produce a list of hostages that that they can get out so that we can try to get this pause back in place,” Kirby said.