The United States is studying Hamas' response to a cease-fire proposal and will discuss it with allies in the Middle East in the coming hours, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters on Monday. "I can confirm that Hamas has issued a response. We are reviewing that response now and discussing it with our partners in the region," Miller said on Monday afternoon, confirming that a response was received and that discussions would take place in the coming hours. CIA director Bill Burns is in the region "working on this in real time," Miller said. (Reuters)