US expects peace talks on Gaza to continue

The State Department said that the United States expects peace talks in Gaza to continue as planned.

This was reported by Reuters.

Last week, the leaders of the United States, Egypt, and Qatar called on Israel and Hamas to meet for talks on August 15 in Cairo or Doha to finalize a ceasefire and hostage release agreement in Gaza.

The US said it believes a ceasefire agreement is possible even after Hamas questioned its participation in the meeting.

Deputy State Department spokesman Vedant Patel said that the United States fully expects the negotiations to continue and will continue to work with the parties involved, adding that a deal is still possible.

"We fully expect the negotiations to move forward as they should. All the negotiators should return to the table and see this deal through," Patel said.

He declined to say whether the talks would continue without Hamas' participation and whether Washington was working with regional partners to ensure their participation or not.

Author - Olena Madiak, 12/08/2024