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Gaza ceasefire talks making progress on key issues, says Biden administration

After concerns from within the administration that hostage deal and ceasefire talks could be at an impasse, top US official says negotiations making ‘progress’ dealing with ‘nitty-gritty’ issues.

By World Israel News Staff

Negotiations aimed at securing a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and a hostage deal for the release of Israeli captives held by Gaza terrorists are making “progress,” a senior Biden administration official said Thursday, less than a week after talks collapsed during a summit in Cairo.

Speaking with reporters in Beijing Thursday, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan played up brokered negotiations in the interim, saying they had dealt with “nitty-gritty” issues that have thus far stymied talks, and yet still be able to achieve “a positive sign of progress.”

“The negotiators are bearing down on the details, meaning that we have advanced the discussions to a point where it’s in the nitty-gritty, and that is a positive sign of progress.”

“At the end of the day, nothing is done until it’s done. And so we’re just going to keep working at this until we finally get the ceasefire and hostage deal across the line,” Sullivan continued.

Two weeks ago, Qatar hosted a summit in Doha, prompting the U.S. and Israel to issue statements expressing cautious optimism at the prospect of a deal in the offing; even as Hamas claimed no progress had been made and accused the U.S. of accepting Israeli demands.

Read  CIA chief leads first ceasefire summit in months in bid to reboot talks

Days later, however, expectations soured ahead of the Cairo summit, leading Egyptian brokers to express skepticism a deal can be reached.

Hamas has demanded Israel withdraw from the Gaza Strip and agree to a permanent truce as part of a deal for the release of Israeli hostages.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has publicly vowed not to withdraw from strategically important areas of the Gaza Strip, including the Philadelhi Route on the Egypt – Gaza border, and the Netzarim Corridor in central Gaza.