Ceasefire talks thrown into tumult after the discovery of six hostages slain in Gaza

The Saturday discovery of the deaths of six hostages held by Hamas has thrown negotiations for a ceasefire and hostage release deal into tumult as protests against the Israeli government sweep across the country.

The Saturday discovery of the deaths of six hostages held by Hamas has thrown negotiations for a ceasefire and hostage release deal into tumult as protests against the Israeli government sweep across the country. American officials said the deaths of the hostages, who were seized by militants during Hamas’ October 7 attacks, would not cause the talks to be derailed. Instead, they described new urgency in coming to an agreement that would end the Israel-Hamas war and bring those remaining in captivity home. Both the Israeli and American governments have scrambled to react after the Israeli military announced it had recovered the bodies of six slain hostages in Gaza. US national security adviser Jake Sullivan met virtually Sunday with family members of Americans still held hostage. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with the families of hostages and issued a statement accusing Hamas of killing the six individuals and saying the group is not serious about a ceasefire deal. How the discussions will be affected will become apparent in the next day or two, a source with knowledge of the talks told CNN on Sunday. The “situation is complicated,” the source said. Two weeks of in-person joint negotiations with the various parties in both Egypt and Qatar have ended, but the source said discussions continue through other channels. In the meeting with hostage families, Sullivan discussed the “ongoing diplomatic push across the highest levels of the US government to drive toward a deal,” according to the White House.