Israel US government: Gaza talks could continue until Friday

The current round of negotiations for a ceasefire in the Gaza war could possibly last until Friday, according to the US government. "Given the complexity of the agreement, we do not expect to come out of these talks with an agreement today. In fact, I expect the talks to continue until tomorrow," the communications director of the US National Security Council, John Kirby, told journalists.

The talks were now focusing on the details of implementing the agreement. There is still a lot to do, but the remaining obstacles can be overcome, Kirby said. It was imperative that the process be brought to a conclusion. As Israel and the Islamist Hamas are not talking directly to each other, the USA, Qatar and Egypt are acting as mediators.

Among those taking part in the negotiations in Qatar are CIA chief William Burns, Qatar's Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and Egypt's intelligence chief Abbas Kamel, as well as the head of Israel's foreign intelligence service Mossad, David Barnea. Hamas is not taking part. According to dpa, however, it will be kept informed of the content of the talks.