The U.S. State Department announced on Monday that it expects Gaza peace talks to proceed as planned, expressing optimism that a ceasefire agreement is still attainable, despite recent uncertainties surrounding Hamas’s participation in upcoming negotiations.
On Sunday, the Palestinian militant group Hamas urged mediators to base any ceasefire proposal on prior negotiations rather than engage in new talks. This request came just days before a scheduled meeting on August 15, organized by mediators from the U.S., Egypt, and Qatar, aimed at finalizing a ceasefire and hostage-release deal between Israel and Hamas. The talks were proposed to take place either in Cairo or Doha.
State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel addressed the situation during a regular press briefing, emphasizing that the U.S. remains committed to the peace process. “We fully expect talks to move forward, as they should. All negotiators should return to the table and bring this deal to conclusion,” Patel stated, underlining the importance of continued dialogue.
However, Patel refrained from confirming whether the discussions would proceed without Hamas or if the U.S. was coordinating with regional partners to secure Hamas’s involvement in the negotiations.
President Joe Biden had previously outlined a three-phase ceasefire plan in a speech on May 31. Since then, U.S. and regional mediators have been working to broker a ceasefire-for-hostages agreement, though the process has encountered numerous challenges.
The ongoing conflict escalated after Hamas militants launched an assault on southern Israel on October 7, resulting in the deaths of 1,200 people, primarily civilians, and the capture of over 250 hostages, according to Israeli reports. In response, Israel launched a massive offensive on Gaza, which has led to nearly 40,000 Palestinian deaths, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
As the situation continues to evolve, all eyes remain on the upcoming negotiations and the possibility of reaching a ceasefire agreement that could bring some relief to the war-torn region.
