U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff. AFP
Fox News also quoted US Secretary of State Marco Rubio as saying that significant progress had been made in the Gaza ceasefire talks.
“We hope to reach a deal that secures the release of half the hostages initially, followed by the rest within 60 days,” Rubio said. “The solution in Gaza is very simple: release the hostages and lay down your arms, and the war will end,” he added.
On Friday, Egypt’s Foreign Ministry reaffirmed that Cairo and Doha are continuing to mediate efforts to halt the war in Gaza, end humanitarian suffering, protect civilians, and facilitate a captive-prisoner exchange.
The Egyptian-Qatari confirmation came less than 24 hours after the US and Israel pulled back from indirect Gaza ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas in Doha on Thursday.
In its statement, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry also noted that the latest three-week round of ceasefire negotiations saw some progress and described the current pause for consultations before talks resume as a routine step in the complex negotiation process.
Cairo and Doha also warned against being swayed by leaks circulated by some media outlets, which they said aim to undermine ongoing efforts and influence the negotiation process.
On Friday, an informed Egyptian source told Al-Qahera News that Gaza ceasefire talks are expected to resume next week after Israel studies Hamas’ response to the latest Israeli proposal.
The ceasefire efforts come amid mounting regional and international outrage over mass starvation in Gaza. Israel’s blockade of the Strip—now in its fifth month—has pushed the population of 2.4 million into famine.
At least 127 Palestinians, including 85 children, have died from severe malnutrition and starvation imposed by Israeli forces since the start of the genocidal war on 7 October 2023.
Six members of the US Congress issued a joint statement urging the Trump administration to pressure Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to agree to a ceasefire and ensure the swift return of captives on Friday, describing the humanitarian situation in Gaza as “horrific and unacceptable.”
Since 7 October, Israel has waged a genocidal war on Gaza marked by mass killings, starvation, destruction, and forced displacement—killing nearly 57,000 Palestinians and injuring over 143,000 others—ignoring international appeals and defying binding orders by the International Court of Justice to halt its actions.
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