Washington spoke yesterday of progress in the talks in Cairo, while the war, which is in its 323rd day, continues with unabated intensity.

The American president Joe Bidenwho is pushing for an agreement, discussed with the leaders of the two Arab states that have assumed the role of mediators in the negotiations, the Egyptian president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and the Emir of Qatar, the Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al Thani.

The heads of the Mossad David Barnea and the Sin Bet Ronen Barr they take part in the talks, a week after the previous round, in Doha, Qatar, with the participation of mediators.

According to the services of the Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu they went to Cairo to “make progress on a deal for the hostages” kidnapped and taken to the Gaza Strip during an unprecedented incursion into southern Israel by Hamas’s military arm on October 7. This attack was the trigger for the war.

Present at the talks is the director of the CIA William Burns and the White House coordinator for the Middle East Brett McGurk. As in Doha, Hamas is not participating.

“Progress has been made. Now we need the two sides to come to an agreement and implement it,” said the spokesman for the White House National Security Council. John Kirbyrepeatedly stressing that reports that the talks are “close to collapsing” are “inaccurate”.

Always according to Kirby, the talks, which began yesterday Thursday, are “constructive” and it is hoped that this momentum will “continue” in the “next couple of days” (over the weekend).

According to an Egyptian source familiar with the matter, the heads of the intelligence services of Egypt and Qatar are also participating in the talks.

According to the same source, An “expanded” round of talks will begin tomorrow, Sunday and will be a “turning point” in reaching an agreement. He did not provide further details.

“Washington is discussing new proposals with mediators to bridge the gap between Israel and Hamas,” added the Egyptian source.

Executive of the Palestinian movement, Mr Hussam Badrantold AFP yesterday that Mr. Netanyahu’s insistence that his troops remain in a narrow strip of land along the Gaza Strip-Egypt border, known as Corridor of Philadelphiareflects “his refusal to make a final deal.”

Hamas will accept “nothing less than the withdrawal of the occupation forces” from the Gaza Strip, “including the Philadelphia corridor,” he added.

Netanyahu says Israel is determined to maintain control of the Philadelphia Corridor, which it captured in May, “to prevent Hamas from rearming which would allow it to commit the atrocities of October 7 again,” according to his office.

For its part, Hamas insists that a proposal as presented by Biden on May 31 be implemented. It called for a six-week ceasefire, the withdrawal of Israeli troops from densely populated areas of the enclave, the release of Israeli hostages and in exchange for Palestinian prisoners; then, in a second phase, the complete withdrawal of the Israeli army from the besieged enclave.

Fighting continued to rage yesterday, with eyewitnesses and journalists reporting artillery fire and ground fighting in the central and southern Gaza Strip.

Israeli shelling at night hit home in the west Khan Yunis killing at least 11 people, among them four women and as many children, and injuring many others.

Yesterday, the Israeli armed forces assured that they “eliminated dozens of terrorists and destroyed dozens of terrorist infrastructures” in various sectors.

The war has displaced almost the entire population of the Gaza Strip, much of it repeatedly, while shortages of shelter, food, drinking water, medicine and other essential goods and services have become widespread and diseases are spreading, according to the UN, which describes the humanitarian situation as “disastrous”.

For the US government, declaring a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip would help prevent further military escalation in the Middle East, following threats by Iran and its allies to retaliate for the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniya on 31 July in Tehran, attributed to Israel by the Islamic Republic.