The leaders of the United States, Egypt and Qatar have called Israel and Hamas Earlier on Friday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu indicated that Israel would take part in those discussions, with a view to resuming ceasefire talks in either Doha or Cairo next week.

In a joint statement, President Biden, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and Qatar’s Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani urged the two sides to “urgently resume discussions” on August 15. delay.”

“It is time to provide immediate relief to the long-suffering people of Gaza and the long-suffering hostages and their families,” Israel said and urged Hamas to avoid further delay. “The time has come to conclude a cease-fire agreement and the release of hostages and prisoners.”

The US, Egypt and Qatar have been mediating previous ceasefire talks. Thursday’s joint statement came hours after the White House said Israel-Hamas ceasefire talks were “close.” Fears of escalating Middle East war Following high-profile assassinations of Hamas and Hezbollah leaders.

As outlined by President Biden on May 31 and the UN The Scheduled Framework Agreement is based on the principles endorsed by Security Council Resolution 2735.

Israel A A rare airstrike On July 30, Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr, a close adviser to Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah, was killed in Beirut, the capital of Lebanon. A day later, the longtime head of Hamas’s political bureau, Ismail HaniyehHe was assassinated at his guest house in Tehran – which Iran blames Israel – just hours after he attended the inauguration of incoming Iranian president Massoud Beseshkian.

CIA Director William Burns is expected to travel to the United States to participate in the cease-fire talks if they go ahead according to the proposed timeline.

Netanyahu’s office said in a statement early Friday that Israel would send a “negotiating team to a location to be determined to finalize the details of the implementation of the framework agreement” on the proposed date.

Haniyeh was Hamas’s lead negotiator in ceasefire talks with Israel, the United States, Qatar and Egypt. His negotiating role appears to have fallen to Yahya Shinwar, now head of Hamas’s political wing and alleged mastermind of Hamas’ October 7 attacks on Israel. Sinwar is believed to be hiding in Gaza’s underground tunnels.

In a call with reporters Thursday, a National Security Council official noted that if the Aug. 15 talks do take place, an agreement may not be reached immediately.

“It’s not like the deal is ready to be signed on Thursday, there’s still a significant amount of work to be done. But we believe what’s left here can actually be a bridge,” the official said.

“We are very confident, and I base this on our consultation not only with the Israelis, but also with the Egyptians and the Qataris, that there is a way here,” the official added. “But, more importantly, there has to be a way out here.”

“We’re as close as we’ve ever thought,” a National Security Council spokesman said John Kirby said on Wednesday, referring to the ceasefire talks. “The gaps are narrow enough to close. What we’re talking about here is recognizing the fact that we’ve come an awful long way.”

However, longtime former Israeli negotiator Gershon Baskin told CBS News in Jerusalem, “I don’t know where this is coming from.”

“It seems disconnected from reality, but maybe they know something we don’t,” he said.

As for whether the White House comment could be an attempt to apply public pressure on Netanyahu to agree to a deal, Baskin said, “behind the scenes the Americans are pushing hard,” but added, “I don’t think Netanyahu cares. He’s the anti-Biden.”

US-Israel relations have been strained this year by Israel’s continued military action in Gaza. According to the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza, nearly 40,000 people have been killed in the enclave since October 7.

On Tuesday, Netanyahu again spoke unflinchingly about military action.

“We’re marching toward victory,” he told recruits. “We are prepared both defensively and offensively, we attack our opponents and we are determined to defend ourselves.”

A few days ago, Netanyahu said that Israel was already in a “multi-front war”.

“Unless Netanyahu changes course, there’s no chance of much progress (on the cease-fire),” Baskin said, “or certainly until they find and kill Sinwar.”

Israel considers Sinwar public enemy number 1. He is understood to be in his early 60s and has a long history of fighting with Israel. He became known as the “Butcher of Khan Yunis” in the late 1980s after killing a dozen people believed to be collaborating with Israel. He was sentenced to four life terms and organized prison strikes for better living conditions. In 2011, Netanyahu released him as part of a prisoner swap for a hostage-taking Israeli soldier. Sinwar later rose through the ranks of Hamas and became the group’s leader in Gaza in 2017.

Now, following the death of US Secretary of State Haniyeh, Sinwar has been elevated to head of Hamas’s political wing. Anthony Blinken He has put public pressure on Shinwar, saying that the power to seal a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war now falls to him.