US lauds ‘promising start’ to hostage talks in Doha, says they’ll continue tomorrow

The hostage talks will likely continue in Doha tomorrow, as a lot of work remains before an agreement can be reached between Israel and Hamas, White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby says.

In a phone briefing with reporters, Kirby says that talks are moving forward today in Doha, with CIA director Bill Burns and White House Mideast czar Brett McGurk representing the US and currently meeting with representatives from Israel, Qatar and Egypt.

“Qatar and Egypt are, in turn, mediating with Hamas,” Kirby says. The terror group has refused to formally attend the summit, but says it is staying in touch with mediators.

Kirby says that the mediators managed to “narrow some gaps” in the lead-up to today’s meeting in Doha. He reiterates that today’s meeting is focused on discussing the implementation of the deal, as the framework has already been agreed on by both sides.

“Today is a promising start,” he adds.