US ‘cautiously optimistic’ about Gaza ceasefire talks

White House national security spokesman John Kirby told CNN on Wednesday that the United States is “cautiously optimistic” about ceasefire talks in Gaza, saying the differences between the two sides could be narrowed.

Asked if a ceasefire was imminent, Kirby said: “We are cautiously optimistic that things are moving in a good direction.” He added: “There are still differences between the two sides. We believe those differences can be narrowed, and that’s what Brett McGurk and CIA Director Bill Burns are trying to do right now.”

U.S. President Joe Biden detailed a three-phase plan in late May aimed at achieving a ceasefire, the release of Gaza hostages and Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza and the reconstruction of the coastal enclave.

Burns and U.S. Middle East envoy McGurk are in the Middle East meeting with regional counterparts to discuss a ceasefire.

Hamas accepted a key part of the U.S. plan, dropping its demand that Israel first commit to a permanent ceasefire before signing the deal. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who vowed to destroy Hamas when the war began, insisted the deal must not prevent Israel from resuming fighting until its war goals are achieved.

Netanyahu told McGurk on Wednesday that he was committed to a Gaza ceasefire as long as Israel’s red lines were respected, his office said.

The bloody conflict in the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict erupted on Oct. 7 when Hamas militants, who control the Gaza Strip, attacked southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostages, according to Israeli data.