On Friday, August 16, another meeting is to be held in the Qatari capital, Doha, in an attempt to reach a ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip. On Thursday, Gaza medics reported that the death toll in the enclave exceeded 40,000 after more than 10 months of fighting. UNN reports this with reference to Reuters.
Details
A U.S. official briefed on the Doha talks, who declined to be identified, told Reuters that Thursday's talks were "constructive.
"This is vital work. The remaining obstacles can be overcome, and we must see this process through," US National Security Advisor John Kirby told reporters at the White House.
Meanwhile, Israel continued its offensive on Gaza. Gaza health officials reported that at least six Palestinians were killed on Thursday evening in an Israeli airstrike on a house in Jabaliya in the northern Gaza Strip.
Earlier, Israeli forces struck targets in the southern cities of Rafah and Khan Younis.
In a statement published late Thursday night on Telegram, Hamas political bureau member Hossam Badran said that ongoing Israeli operations are an obstacle to making progress on a ceasefire. According to the agency, Hamas representatives did not participate in the talks on Thursday.
The mediators plan to consult with the Doha-based Hamas negotiating team after the meeting, a U.S. official told Reuters.
The Israeli delegation includes the head of the spy service, David Barnea, the head of the internal security service, Ronen Bar, and the head of the military hostage service, Nitzan Alon, defense officials said.
The White House sent CIA Director Bill Burns and U.S. Envoy to the Middle East Brett McGurk to the talks. The talks were also attended by Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and Egyptian Intelligence Chief Abbas Kamel.
US announces "promising start" to Gaza truce talks15.08.24, 17:41