(NewsNation) — High-stakes negotiations for a cease-fire deal in Gaza that would also secure the release of hostages taken on Oct. 7 have resumed without one vital attendee: Hamas.
Talks were underway Thursday in Qatar, with Israeli, U.S. and Egyptian officials present, but Hamas representatives did not directly participate. The militant group accuses Israel of adding new demands to a previous proposal it had agreed to in principle, which also had U.S. and international support.
Some of the people taking part in negotations on the United States’ side include CIA Director Bill Burns and Brett McGurk, an expert on the Middle East.
The White House says leading into Thursday’s discussions, some gaps had been narrowed, but people should not expect a deal at the end of the day. A bigger question now, though, is whether a cease-fire deal can be reached at all 10 months into this war.
The White House says talks are underway today in Qatar, with Israeli officials on hand to talk with the mediating countries, but Hamas representatives are staying away for the time being.
Still, National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said the resumption of the talks is “an important step.”
“Today, we are focused on the details of the implementation of the agreement,” he said Thursday.
Iran threatens retaliation against Israel
This is already an extremely tense situation in the Middle East, as Iran has vowed retribution for the July assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran. There’s concern if a deal is not reached soon, the situation could escalate. An attack from Iran is becoming increasingly likely and could happen in the coming days, Kirby warned reporters earlier this week.
Already, the United States has moved more assets to the Middle East in recent weeks in order to deter an attack by Iran or its proxies, namely Hezbollah. This includes mobilizing the missile-armed submarine USS Georgia and fast-tracking the deployment of the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group to the region.
Hezbollah has also threatened retaliation after one of its leaders, Fouad Shukur, was assassinated last month as well.
There has been international pressure on Iran to refrain from launching an attack, with British and German leaders speaking Monday to Iran’s president to push for a cease-fire deal.
NewsNation correspondent Elina Shirazi and The Associated Press contributed to this report.