Israel–Hamas ceasefire

Israeli negotiators were taking part Thursday in talks on Gaza in Cairo, a government spokesman said, as fighting raged on the ground despite U.S. pressure on Israel and Hamas to reach an agreement.

Hopes for a deal have dwindled though as Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas have traded blame for failing to reach a deal after more than 10 months of war in the Gaza Strip.

Hopes were dwindling Thursday for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, where fighting raged despite pressure from the United States on Israel and Hamas to reach an agreement.

Demonstrators rally in protest over the war in Gaza near the United Center where the Democratic National Convention (DNC) is taking place on Aug. 21, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois.

The Palestinian factions Hamas and Islamic Jihad articulated their conditions for a potential agreement with Israel on Wednesday.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken held a phone call to discuss ongoing efforts for a ceasefire in Gaza, as Blinken concluded his ninth wartime tour of the Middle East.

Top U.S. diplomat Antony Blinken said Tuesday that "time is of the essence" to secure a Gaza truce as he wrapped up a Middle East tour with a plea for a deal.

Hamas on Tuesday condemned U.S. President Joe Biden's assertion that the group was withdrawing from a Gaza truce agreement , labeling his comments as a "green light" for Israel to continue its military actions.

The Palestinian militant organization stated that Biden's "misleading claims... do not reflect the true position of the movement, which is keen to reach a ceasefire" deal.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has announced that the Israeli government has accepted the proposal put forward by the US last week for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

While in Israel, where he met with Prime Minister Netanyahu and other officials, Blinken also called on Hamas to agree to the ceasefire.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, in Israel to push for a Gaza truce, said on Monday that ongoing negotiations were "maybe the last" chance to reach an agreement to end the war.

White House Press Secretary John Kirby today referred to a “positive start” in the talks that have just begun in Doha, focusing on achieving a ceasefire agreement and the release of hostages in the Gaza Strip.

Pressure built for a Gaza ceasefire to be agreed at talks that resumed Thursday in Qatar, aiming to stop the spread of a war that the Hamas-run territory's health ministry said has killed 40,000.

A source with knowledge of the talks confirmed to AFP that they had begun in the Qatari capital Doha.