US, Qatar And Egypt Urge Hamas-Israel To Negotiate Next Week To Complete Ceasefire Agreement

Israeli military land operations in Gaza. (Source: Israel Defense Forces)

JAKARTA - Leaders of the United States, Egypt, and Qatar on Thursday asked Israel and Hamas to meet and negotiate next week to complete the Gaza ceasefire and the agreement to release hostages.

The three countries, which have attempted to mediate the deal, said in a joint statement that the meeting on August 15 could be held in Doha (Qatar) or Cairo (Egypt).

"The framework agreement is now on the table and only details of the implementation remain to be concluded," they said.

"There is no more wasted time or reason from any party to postpone further. It is time to release the hostages, start a ceasefire and implement this agreement," he continued.

The statement is part of the efforts of the leaders of the three countries to initiate negotiations, as concerns escalate over a possible wider conflict in the region by involving Iran, following the killing of senior members of the militant groups Hamas and Hezbollah.

The leaders also offered to deliver a "final linkage proposal" that solves the remaining problems.

Separately, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israeli negotiators would be there. The goal, he said, was "to complete details and implement framework agreements."

Meanwhile, there was no immediate comment from Hamas.

A senior US Government official said there was no hope the agreement would be signed next week, given the serious issues spanning the exchange order between Hamas and Israel. Movement is needed on both sides of the negotiating table, the official said.

He also said the statement was not designed to affect Iran. However, any escalation would jeopardize hopes of achieving the Israel-Hamas deal.

It is known that the latest conflict in Gaza was triggered by an attack by a militant group led by Hamas attacking Israel's southern region on October 7, 2023. That left about 1,200 people dead and 250 others held hostage, according to Israeli calculations.

Meanwhile, Gaza's health authorities on Thursday confirmed that the death toll of Palestinians as a result of the Israeli attack had reached 39,699 people and 91,722 others were injured, with the majority of the victims being women and children, quoted from WAFA.