Israel – The Times of Israel, September 17, 2024
The United States is still working with mediators Egypt and Qatar to present a revised proposal for a hostage-ceasefire deal to stop the fighting in Gaza and free Israelis held hostage by the Hamas terror group, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said on Monday.
Miller told reporters Washington was working with the mediators on the content of the proposal to ensure that “it’s a proposal that can get the parties to an ultimate agreement.”
“I don’t have a timetable for you other than to say that we are working expeditiously to try to develop that proposal,” Miller added.
Months of negotiations have not succeeded in reaching a deal for the return of the 101 hostages still believed to be held captive in Gaza, more than 11 months after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages, launching the ongoing war.
Mossad chief David Barnea was in Qatar last week to try to find a way to make progress in the talks, but at present, there are no teams in Doha or Cairo, where past negotiations have been held through intermediaries.
