U.S. officials say some progress made in first day of Gaza hostage-ceasefire talks
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A boy walks past mounds of trash and rubble along a street in the Jabalia camp for Palestinian refugees in the northern Gaza Strip on Aug. 14, 2024. Photo: Omar Al-Qattaa/AFP via Getty Images
Some progress was made on Thursday during the first day of the latest round of negotiations on the Gaza hostage and ceasefire deal, U.S. officials said. Qatari, Egyptian and U.S. mediators and Israeli negotiators decided to continue the talks for another day.
Why it matters: The summit in Doha, which Israeli officials have said is "the last chance" to get a deal, comes amid intense regional tensions and threats by Iran and Hezbollah to attack Israel in retaliation for the recent assassinations of Hamas and Hezbollah leaders in Tehran and Beirut.
- The Biden administration has said a hostage and ceasefire deal is key to de-escalating tensions in the Middle East and preventing a regional war.
- The deal under negotiation would secure the release of the 115 hostages being held by Hamas in exchange for a temporary ceasefire in Gaza, where more than 40,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to the local health ministry.
Driving the news: CIA director Bill Burns and President Biden's top Middle East adviser Brett McGurk met on Thursday in Doha for several hours with the Prime Minister of Qatar Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Mossad director David Barnea and the head of Egyptian intelligence Abbas Kamel for the crucial round of negotiations.
- Hamas representatives in Doha were briefed by Qatari and Egyptian mediators throughout the day, a source with knowledge told Axios.
- White House spokesperson John Kirby told reporters on Thursday that the talks in Doha are focused on the gaps that remain between Israel and Hamas over the details of how to implement the deal. He said the U.S. believes it is possible to close the remaining gaps.
The big picture: Kirby said the deal is important for decreasing regional tensions.
- He said the U.S. has intelligence that still suggests Iran and Hezbollah are planning an attack against Israel that could happen "with little or no warning."
- At the end of the first day of talks on Thursday, the Prime Minister of Qatar spoke to the acting Iranian foreign minister Ali Bagheri and briefed him on the discussions.
- The Qatari prime minster stressed to his Iranian counterpart the importance of de-escalating regional tensions, the Qatari foreign ministry said.
What they're saying: Two U.S. official said the first day of talks was "very good" and that some progress was made.
- Another U.S. official said the mediators "concluded a constructive day of discussions in Doha" and added that the talks will continue tomorrow.
- Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Majed Al-Ansari said the mediators "are resolute in their commitment to move forward in their endeavors to reach a ceasefire in the Gaza strip that would facilitate the release of hostages and enable the entry of the largest possible amount of humanitarian aid into Gaza."
- Husam Badran, a senior Hamas official, said in a statement that the group believes any negotiations "must be based on a clear plan to implement what was previously agreed upon."
- "Any agreement must achieve a comprehensive ceasefire, a complete withdrawal from Gaza, the return of the displaced and the reconstruction, in addition to a prisoner exchange deal," he said.
