Top officials from US, Qatar join talks aimed at brokering peace in Gaza

Cairo, Oct 9 (AP) The United States’ top Middle East adviser, the prime minister of Qatar and other senior officials joined the third day of peace talks between Israel and Hamas in an Egyptian resort on

Wednesday, a sign that negotiators aim to dive deeply into the toughest issues of an American plan to end the war in Gaza.

Hamas says it’s seeking firm guarantees from mediators that Israel won’t resume its military campaign in the Palestinian territory after the militant group releases all the remaining hostages.

All sides have expressed optimism for a deal to end the two-year war that has left tens of thousands of Palestinians dead and most of the Gaza Strip destroyed. But key parts of the peace plan still haven’t been agreed to, including a requirement that Hamas disarm, the timing and extent of an Israeli troop withdrawal from Gaza, and the creation of an international body to run the territory after Hamas steps down.

In a sign the talks were going well, US President Donald Trump said Wednesday he’s considering a trip to the Middle East within a matter of days.

“I may go there sometime toward the end of the week,” Trump said from the White House on Wednesday as he opened a roundtable event on a different matter. The trip could occur on Sunday, Trump said, adding that “negotiations are going along very well.” (AP) RD RD