Gaza war ceasefire gaps narrow enough and could be closed soon, White House says

John Kirby tells The National that mediated and 'meaningful' discussions between Israel and Hamas were ongoing

Live updates: Follow the latest on Israel-Gaza

The White House on Thursday said that gaps in ceasefire negotiations in the Israel-Gaza war were “narrow enough” and could soon be closed, though the details were still being hammered out.

National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told The National that Israel and Hamas, as well as intermediaries from Qatar, Egypt and the US, had held “meaningful discussions” in Doha and Cairo about the latest proposal.

“It was good that all sides came to Cairo and we were able to have a meaningful discussion about the proposal that's on the table,” Mr Kirby said from the sidelines of the Nato summit in Washington.

“The gaps are narrow enough that they can and should be closed, hopefully soon, and we can get six weeks of calm in Gaza.”

President Joe Biden in May laid out a three-phase approach that would lead to a permanent end to the nine-month-long war in Gaza.

In the first phase, fighting would be halted for a six-week period, during which some of the hostages held by Hamas would be released and much-needed humanitarian aid would be delivered to the besieged strip.

“We want the war to end as soon as possible,” Mr Kirby said.

Israel launched a punishing military campaign on Gaza on October 7, after Hamas gunmen attacked southern Israel, killing 1,200 people.

More than 38,300 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli strikes. The majority of Gaza's 2.3 million residents have been displaced, and much of the enclave's infrastructure and built-up areas have been reduced to rubble. For weeks, aid groups have warned of a worsening famine.

The temporary pier installed by the US to deliver aid to desperate Palestinians will soon cease operations after weeks of rough seas and a recent failed reinstallation, the Pentagon said on Thursday.

Sources told The National that Yemen's Houthi rebels and Iraqi militias have informed their ally Hamas they will cease attacks on Israeli targets if a ceasefire is reached in Gaza.

The move would provide the Palestinian faction greater flexibility during negotiations, according to the sources, who added the development came after Hamas and Israel had made “significant concessions” during intense talks in recent days.

For months, US mediators and their Arab counterparts in Egypt and Qatar have been trying to broker a ceasefire in Gaza, but efforts have stalled.

Only one temporary truce was reached since the war's start, ending in December after about a week. Roughly 100 hostages held by Hamas were released in exchange for Palestinians in Israeli prisons during that time.

The developments come as the US is increasingly concerned that the war in Gaza will spread into the wider region. Fear is especially mounting over an all-out war between Israel and Lebanon, as cross-border fighting between the Israeli army and Hezbollah continue.

“We are obviously concerned about the increasing tensions on that northern front,” Mr Kirby said, adding that a full-blown war would “not only be horrible for the Israeli people, but for the Lebanese people as well”.