US President Joe Biden\u2019s main adviser on the Middle East said on Saturday there would be a \u201csignificant pause\u201d in fighting if Hamas agrees to release prisoners. \u201cThe surge in humanitarian relief, the surge in fuel, the pause\u2026 will come when hostages are released,\u201d Brett McGurk told a security conference in Bahrain. Release of a large number of prisoners would result in \u201ca significant pause\u2026 and a massive surge of humanitarian relief\u201d, he said. McGurk said Biden had discussed the issue on Friday evening with the emir of Qatar, which is leading mediation efforts towards a ceasefire and release of the prisoners. The White House said President Biden and Qatar\u2019s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani discussed \u201cthe urgent need for all hostages held by Hamas to be released without further delay\u201d. Two days earlier Biden had said he was \u201cmildly hopeful\u201d of reaching a deal to free the prisoners, believed to include about 10 US citizens. So far efforts by Qatar have led to the release of four of the prisoners. McGurk said the situation in the besieged Palestinian territory was \u201chorrific\u201d and \u201cintolerable\u201d. Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, who also attended the Bahrain conference, said it was \u201cunacceptable\u201d to link humanitarian pauses to a prisoner release.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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