The White House stated on Monday that the Gaza truce talks in Cairo have made progress and are expected to continue at a working level for several days, despite clashes between Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah.
“There continues to be progress, and our team on the ground continues to describe the talks as constructive,”
National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters.
“Despite the rocket and drone attacks by Hezbollah over the weekend, which Israel successfully defended against, it has not impacted the actual work on the ground by the teams trying to secure a ceasefire agreement,”
Kirby said.
The United States has repeatedly expressed optimism about the talks aimed at reaching a truce proposed by President Joe Biden in the ongoing conflict, despite persistent disagreements between Israel and Hamas.
Kirby noted that senior White House official Brett McGurk stayed an extra day in Cairo to facilitate further discussions at a lower level.
“He’ll likely depart soon and leave the discussions and work to the working group members,”
Kirby said.
“We expect that these working group discussions will continue over the next few days. However, whether they extend longer or conclude sooner will depend on those involved in the discussions,”
he added.
