A senior US official spoke to reporters on Thursday after the US, Egypt and Qatar published a joint statement calling on Israel and Hamas to convene next week for a summit to finalize a ceasefire and hostage release deal.
The official said, according to Axios, that the decision to publish the joint statement and convene the summit next week was the result of phone calls President Joe Biden had on Tuesday with the Emir of Qatar and the President of Egypt.
The US official said the Egyptians and Qataris proposed convening the summit and Biden supported it.
Before the summit next Thursday, there will be preparatory talks by teams from all sides to lay the groundwork, the senior US official told reporters.
"On Thursday, the negotiations will be resumed. We do not expect to reach an agreement on Thursday. This is a beginning and not an end. There is an urgency to get this process back on track," the official said, according to Axios.
The official also noted that gaps remain between Israel and Hamas on several issues related to the implementation of the hostage and ceasefire deal and that both sides hold tough positions on them.
He said that if by Thursday there is no closing of gaps between Israel and Hamas and if the US, Egypt and Qatar think it could help, they might present a bridging proposal to close the gaps.
"The gaps that remain are bridgeable and we don't have time to lose," the official was quoted as having said.
"We had deep discussions with the Israelis this week. We think there is a way forward. Israel and Hamas will have to make decisions. Most of the work has been done and the deal is on the table — and it is possible to get a deal. There are lives on the line."
In their statement on Thursday, the leaders of Qatar, Egypt, and the US called on Israel and Hamas to resume talks on August 15, either in Doha or Cairo, to bridge all remaining gaps in the proposed hostage release and ceasefire agreement and start implementing it without any delay.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said in response to the statement, "Following the proposal of the United States and the mediators, Israel will send on August 15 its negotiations team to a place to be determined, to finalize the details for the implementation of the framework of the Gaza hostage deal."
A senior Israeli official later added that "Israel will go anywhere that can promote a deal."
The US has been pushing a three-phase proposal for a ceasefire and hostage release deal which Biden outlined in late May.
Biden recently indicated that both Israel and Hamas had agreed to the outline and reiterated his determination to implement the proposal, even though Hamas rejected the Biden outline shortly after he presented it.
Recently, a US official said that the negotiations for a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal are in their "closing stages".
On Sunday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu commented on the negotiations for a hostage release deal, telling a Cabinet meeting, "I am willing to go a very long way for the release of all our hostages while ensuring Israel's security. Our commitment stands in stark contrast to the leaks and false briefings on the issue of releasing our hostages. These briefings harm the negotiations, and unfortunately - they also mislead the dear families of the hostages. They create a false impression as if Hamas has agreed to the deal, and the Israeli government is the one opposing it."
"The exact opposite is true - the simple truth is, that until this moment Hamas has not agreed to the most basic conditions of the outline. While we have not added any demands to the outline, Hamas is the one that demanded to introduce dozens of changes to it. It has not withdrawn its demand that Israel cannot return to war, it demands that we withdraw from the Philadelphi Corridor and the Rafah Crossing - its lifelines, that will allow it to rearm and strengthen again. It is important to establish the principle - we are not leaving those areas," he added.