White House avoids setting deadline as indirect Gaza talks begin in Egypt

The White House on Monday refrained from setting a specific deadline for the indirect talks underway in Egypt between 'Israel' and Hamas, aimed at reaching an agreement on US President Donald Trump’s proposal to end the war in Gaza.

“There are technical talks happening right now in Egypt among Special Envoy Witkoff and Mr. [Jared] Kushner as well as respective parties from all sides,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said during a briefing.

Leavitt emphasized that “all sides of this conflict [already] agree that this war needs to end and agree to the 20-point framework that President Trump proposed.” She added that the administration is working “very hard to move the ball forward as quickly as we can,” stressing that Trump wants both a ceasefire and the release of captives.

“The technical teams are discussing that as we speak to ensure that the environment is perfect to release the hostages,” Leavitt said. She further noted that discussions include both 'Israeli' captives and Palestinian political prisoners, marking what appears to be the first time a Trump official has referred to Palestinian detainees in this way.

Pressed on the expected duration of the Egyptian talks, Leavitt avoided specifics, saying only that “it’s important that we get this done quickly so that we can get some momentum, get the hostages out, and then move to the next part of this, which is ensuring that we can create a lasting, durable peace in Gaza and ensure that Gaza is no longer a place that threatens the security of Israel or the United States.” 

When asked about potential Palestinian members of a transitional technocratic government to administer Gaza after the war, Leavitt said, “We’re not quite there yet, What you need to have peace in a region like Gaza that has been war-torn for far too long, [is] security guarantees and good governance, so those will be two of the main priorities that this administration is focused on,” she added.

The indirect talks in Egypt, mediated by the United States, Egypt, and Qatar, mark the latest effort to halt hostilities in Gaza and pave the way for a potential long-term resolution to the war.