US, Arab allies tell Israel and Hamas to seal a deal

What happened

The leaders of the U.S., Qatar and Egypt released a joint statement demanding that Israel and Hamas return to stalled talks on the war in Gaza, saying "only the details" for a cease-fire remain to be ironed out and "there is no further time to waste, nor excuses from any party for further delay." The proposed negotiations start Aug. 15 in either Cairo or Doha, Qatar. 

Who said what

"It is time to release the hostages, begin the cease-fire and implement this agreement," President Joe Biden, Egypt President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and Qatari Emir Tamim al-Thani said in the joint statement. A senior Biden administration official said "the bulk of the work has been done and the deal is really there," though "about four or five issues" remain unresolved.

Progress toward a deal has been "complicated by the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, the political leader of Hamas, who had been leading the negotiations," The New York Times said.

What next?

Hamas did not respond to the letter. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he will send a delegation next week. But "critics of Netanyahu accuse him of slow-rolling talks," The Associated Press said. During mediated negotiations in Rome two weeks ago, the Israeli team "presented new demands to the framework," The Washington Post said, leaving U.S. officials "from Biden on down" and Israeli military and political leaders "furious at Netanyahu's last-minute ultimatum."

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