White House Reports Gaza Talks Progress Despite Lebanon Flare-Up

The White House announced on Monday that talks in Cairo regarding a Gaza truce have made progress and are expected to continue at a working level for several more days, even after recent intense clashes between Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah.

John Kirby, spokesperson for the National Security Council, informed reporters that despite the rocket and drone attacks by Hezbollah over the weekend, which Israel successfully defended against, the discussions on the ground remain unaffected. He described the ongoing talks as “constructive” and emphasized that progress is still being made.

The United States has consistently expressed optimism about the possibility of reaching a truce, a proposal put forward by President Joe Biden to end the conflict that has lasted over ten months, despite ongoing disagreements between Israel and Hamas.

Kirby also mentioned that senior White House official Brett McGurk extended his stay in Cairo for an additional day to facilitate further discussions at a lower level. McGurk is expected to leave soon, leaving the talks in the hands of the working group members.

Kirby noted that these working group discussions are anticipated to continue for at least the next few days, though the exact duration will depend on the progress made by those involved.