Gaza ceasefire talks in Cairo 'constructive' and will continue over the weekend, White House says

23 August 2024, 15:46 | Updated: 23 August 2024, 17:45

Talks aimed at reaching a ceasefire in Gaza have been "constructive" and will continue over the weekend, the White House has said.

National security spokesperson John Kirby said some progress had been made in the Egyptian capital Cairo as he pushed back against reports that the negotiations were close to collapse.

There is speculation Hamas and Israel have major differences over Israel's insistence that it keep its forces in two key corridors.

Mr Kirby said all sides needed to come together to work towards implementing a proposed agreement.

He said discussions should include Hamas representatives as part of the negotiations.

The talks have so far included negotiators from Israel, the United States, Egypt and Qatar, but not Hamas.

CIA director William Burns and Brett McGurk, a senior adviser on the Middle East to President Joe Biden, are leading the US side of the talks.

Mr Kirby said the US continues to monitor Hamas's backer Iran and was not taking anything for granted.

He added the US believes Iran is "still prepared to do something should they choose to do so".

There have been assessments this month that Iran and Lebanese armed group Hezbollah were poised to attack Israel to avenge the assassinations of two of their leaders.

US secretary of state Anthony Blinken called on Hamas to accept a ceasefire deal earlier this week.

It came after Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu had agreed to the proposals, which would see a ceasefire and the return of Israeli hostages.

Last week, a Hamas spokesperson told Sky News that President Biden's optimism over a ceasefire deal was an effort to "keep everything sounding positive in the media".

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"We're in Cairo. They're in Cairo. We need Hamas to participate, and we need to get down to the brass tacks of locking in these details," Mr Kirby said.

"And that's what we're focused on here in the next, coming days here over the course of the weekend."

(c) Sky News 2024: Gaza ceasefire talks in Cairo 'constructive' and will continue over the weekend, White House says