Mediators to the Gaza War ceasefire talks said Friday that the two-day talks wrapped up and that they hope to reconvene in Cairo next week to seal a deal to stop the fighting. In a statement Friday, the United States, Egypt, and Qatar sounded an optimistic note, saying they presented both parties with a proposal and hope to continue working on the details of the implementation in the coming days. "We are closer than we've ever been" to an agreement, said President Biden, per the AP. Details of the new plan were not released.
The new round of talks began Thursday and were aimed at halting the 10-month war and securing the release of scores of hostages, with a potential deal seen as the best hope of heading off an even larger regional conflict. Both sides had previously agreed in principle to a plan outlined by Biden on May 31, but Hamas has proposed amendments and Israel has suggested clarifications, leading each side to accuse the other of trying to tank a deal. Despite the optimism from Biden, Arabic-language media outlets quoted Hamas officials on Friday as being critical of the new proposal, notes the Washington Post.
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